Black out blinds/curtains/other, what's best? And where from?

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I can't search the archives as search is switched off but after yet another 5.30am start we really, really do need blackout. What's best? Should we get John Lewis light stop curtain linings? or do they not stop all the light? We have pole curtains so surely some light would come through still? Would just black sugar paper do the trick? I don't care about not being able to open the windows, I just want some sleep! Surely that's going to end up being cheaper and easy enough? I've looked at darkroom equipment curtains but they seem expensive. Any ideas welcome. We have John Lewis and Ikea near enough and I need to get something today.

www, I found a blind was better than the curtains as the light still got thru the spaces at the side and the top with curtains. We got our blinds from argos, they were the cheapest.

HTH, to be honest my ds2 still wakes at the crack off dawn, I think I'll have to bindfold HIM!

I agree with ssd re Argos blinds. Cheapest and most effective. However our DD has always had blacked out room and wakes at 5am everyday. So its not always the answer - but worth a try! Plus, black paper should work just as well. I remember trying it when I firt moved into my first house and had thin curtains

Thanks you two. I think I'm going totry black paper to start with to see if it works and if it does, Argos for blinds.

i think the sugar paper in conjunction with your normal curtains should work fine.
good luck

If you have a Dunelm Mill near you, they do cheap blackout linings. I got some which were marked as seconds, though I couldn't see why, for about a fiver. Anyway, curtain linings don't need to be beautiful!

we've got a blind(only about £15 from argos/index)
however we got the biggest and the light still comes through the sides and top

my brother has to put towels over the same gaps in his house as his dd is terrible too

Ordered a light stop blind (£33) from John Lewis yesterday - didn't check out the Argos bargain1 My SIL has tried the JL blinds and they seem to work.

Currently, have a venetian blind in the nursery but still is light in the morning and dd has started waking up before 6 - not what I am used to - hopefully a light stop blind will move her back to a more parent friendly 7ish.

I've got black Ikea linen curtains here in Turkey. Cheap and bloody good,so good in fact that yesterday I walked into the door on the way to the bathroom!

Big swollen eye now.God knows what the neighbours thin k!

ha ha ha moondog! Hope it goes down quickly. What a recommendation! I've got 10 sheets of black card for £10 a some blu tack so we'll see. Let's hope I'm walking into doors tomorrow am

We have these , and they do really black out the room. YOu have to stick them onto the window frame though, so no good for you if your have wooden - on our UPVC I tested and will be able to scrub teh glueoff when we leave here.