When the summer months are upon us it becomes increasingly more difficult for any of us to sleep if we choose to have an early night, so there is little wonder that children struggle the way they do. It doesn’t seem to matter what age your child is, whether they’re a baby or a preschooler, they can all struggle when the light nights appear.
You can explain to your child as much as you like about how the clocks have changed and how its light at bedtime but they’re still not going to be too pleased about having to go to bed when it’s still light, and they’re going to find it even more difficult if the light is shining through their curtains.
When this is the problem the only real solution is to either lock your child in the cupboard under the stairs like Harry Potter, or invest in a blackout blind. If you get a perfect fit for your window frame, these blackout blinds are an extremely effective way of shutting out the sunlight when your child is trying to get to sleep.
Blackout blinds and babies
Quite a common problem when getting your baby to sleep through the night is the change in season. If you’ve managed to do this in the winter season, even though your baby naps during the day, they will not be used to sleeping at night with the sun streaming through the window. Night time sleeps are the deepest, and sometimes if you don’t manage to get your baby off to sleep early enough they can get what’s called “locked out” and it’s quite possible that you will find them restless all night and unable to enter the deep sleep they need. If you fit a blackout blind before the light nights begin to creep in you’ll be able to maintain the consistency of your night time routine throughout the spring and summer too.
Fitting a blackout blind
Fitting your blackout blind is as simple as fitting any other blind, the only difference is that you will need to be very careful when you select the size. If you get one that’s too small you’re likely to get light creeping around the sides of the blind, and sometimes this can be just as distracting as light shining through a pair of curtains. Ensure that you consider where you’re going to put the brackets for the blackout blind and try not to put them on the inside of the frame, too close to the window, because this will almost certainly turn out to be a bad fit and let light around the sides. If you’re in any doubt about fitting your blackout blind it’s a good idea to ask a professional, or at least someone that’s done it before to do it for you.
Mobile blackout blinds
Because we’ve become a nation of travellers, so too have our children. Therefore it has become necessary to take our blackout blinds with us. You can’t always expect to have blackout blinds when you go away on holiday or stay with friends and family, but your children may still need that comfort in order to get a good night’s sleep.
The mobile blackout blind usually comes in a handy bag that allows you to fold it away and pack it into a suitcase or underneath a pushchair, and it’s fully adjustable to fit any size window. It attaches in minutes; and what’s even better than this is that you don’t have to get your drill and screwdriver out to fit it!