What to do re. blackout blinds when it's so hot you need to open the window.

[Namethattune]

We have blackout lined curtains, which don't let light through, but it comes round the edges. For that reason we also have the Gro Anywhere blackout blind that suckers to the window pains. This is excellent, and doesn't let in any light, but it also means we can't open the window.

DDs room is south-facing, and it was 24 degrees in there the other day, and it's only April. I'm afraid it's going to reach about 30 degrees in the summer if we can't open the window for ventilation! We tried a night without the Gro blind last night and she woke up at 4am and wouldn't go back to sleep.

Any suggestions?

What about an electric fan? I think that's what we are going to have to do with ds.

What does she wear to sleep? Could you just have her in a vest and no/thin blanket

Maybe invest in one of these?

We have one for our office (south facing but non-opening windows) and it's reasonably quiet and really does cool the air - ours takes ice too so it's less likely to leak if knocked.

I use the gro blind but sucker it to the glass along the top then open the window a draught still comes thro but there is still slivers of light but better than going without the blind.

We put blackout roller blinds with blackout curtains in front - you get no light but can still open the windows.

wonkylegs what about when it's breezy? Doesn't the wind rattle the blind and make a noise?

How old is she? Is it possible that after a few days without the blackout blinds she's get used to sleeping in the light? Especially as she's south facing ago the sun shouldn't be on the window first thing (sun is now rising to the north of east).

Isn't it still dark at 4am? (unless you're not in the UK). Not sure how the blackout blind would make a difference to waking then if so?

We bought an air conditioner for DS's room last year... It was the only way we got any sleep!

On a more practical and helpful note, we used something like this. If you cut it out for each window pane, then you can still open a window if needed. Obviously light will come through the one open window crack, but at a much reduced level to having no blackout at all. If you want fresh air, there has to be some kind of light.

Just be warned, the sticky stuff is a bugger to get off if you leave it on for years months. Although hopefully the product has changed/improved since we used it.

brainonastick you're right, it hadn't started to get light yet at 4am. I think the problem was that there's a streetlight right outside her window, so the room's quite bright even when it's actually dark outside.

I've been considering the stuff that you suggested, but some of the reviews say that it doesn't stick very well and falls off!

MrsHoarder she's 10 months.

They must have changed the sticky stuff then - we can't get ours off! Ours is like white blu-tac, but stickier.

Get rid of the gro blind and get a blackout roller blind to go behind your curtain. That's what we have and you can open the window. It still gets hot in summer so they sleep in light clothing and - crucially - door is kept open to allow air to circulate and breeze to pass through, otherwise it's unbearable stuffy.

When it's breezy we sit a heavy (bean bag type) teddy on the window sill leaning against the blind and it stops it from rattling - we have the same combination in our room as DH is as light sensitive as a baby

We have Perfect Fit blackout blinds (sorry can't do link). They fit onto the glass so you can still open the window. Obviously some light comes in the open window but not as much as no blind.