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Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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There’s nothing worse than being all snuggled into bed, enjoying a precious few minutes of sleep, and then suddenly the neighbor’s automatic flood lights—or worse, the early morning sun—begins to blaze through your curtains, through your eyelids and into your eyes, until you are left wide awake. Why are eyelids so thin anyway?
Human anatomy aside, there’s a number of practical reasons why you should consider scoring a pair of blackout curtains for your home, and they don’t all involve babies.
Let’s go!
1. Your baby worships the sun
Parents will appreciate fewer early morning starts with the help of these kid-friendly blackout curtains.
I’m not talking about that really tan partner you dated in college, I’m talking about the tiny bundle of joy with the gummy smile who refers to you as Mom or Dad.
This is the same lovebug who can sense the sun rising before it even crests over the horizon at 5 a.m. on a humid July morning leaving you wide awake long before your day actually needs to start.
And naptime? Well forget it because sunlight and naps often don’t mix well. I can tell you from experience that putting a toddler down midafternoon or even at bedtime on a summer night is a battle you don’t want to fight.
Enter the blackout curtain: Use them to block out the sun in your little one’s room, and they’ll have no idea if it’s noon on a Saturday or the moon has risen overhead.
Get the Amazon Basics Kids Room Darkening Curtains for $29 at Amazon
2. You value your sleep (and are willing to trick your brain in order to attain it)
Take your bedtime seriously? Don't worry, we do too.
Who doesn’t love to sleep? Waking up rested can often be the most important factor in how well you are ready to conquer your day, and it’s proven by science.
Unfortunately, if you suffer from insomnia or jet lag (even daylight savings time), or you sleep on an alternative schedule due to your job or any number of reasons, then sleep may be more difficult to attain; especially if your circadian rhythm is thrown off.
“Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things,” explains the National Institute of General Medical Sciences in some of its research materials. “One example of a light-related circadian rhythm is sleeping at night and being awake during the day.”
So, how can you achieve a circadian rhythm so that you can achieve a better quality sleep? By blocking out the sunlight so that your brain thinks it’s time for bed.
Bonus, some blackout curtains even have a noise reduction feature so that even in the middle of the day, your bedroom can still sound like it’s nighttime.
Get the Nicetown Noise-reduction Blackout Curtains from $67 at Amazon
3. Your house runs too cold or too hot
Temperature control curtains are a great investment for your home.
Did you know that according to the U.S. Department of Energy, heat gain and loss through windows is responsible for up to 30% of residential energy loss?
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Shut the door, I’m not paying to heat the entire neighborhood?” Well, the same goes for covering your windows.
Blackout curtains are thicker and more insulated than sheer curtains, and by keeping them closed during periods of extreme temperatures, you can actually help keep the heat and cold, in or out, wherever it belongs.
Get the Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtains for $36 at Amazon
4. You are a lover of cinematic arts and/or sports games
Have a real cinema experience all from the comfort of your own home theatre.
Have you ever been to a movie theater with skylights and natural lighting? Didn’t think so. So, why would you want that in your home movie room?
Even if you don’t have a home theater, and, instead, simply enjoy chilling out on the weekends watching the game, or perhaps bingeing a movie trilogy, it’s incredibly annoying to have the sun ruining your view. Not to mention that dark-lit movies can be nearly impossible to see in a bright room.
Get the Sun Zero Oslo Home Theater-grade Single Curtain Panel from $30 at Wayfair
5. You have nosy neighbors
Use these heavy-duty curtains to separate yourself from the outside world.
There’s one in every neighborhood: the person who knows everything about everyone, because they are always watching.
Neighborhood gossip aside, there are also people who walk the dog at night, cars driving by, and all kinds of creeps you don’t want peering through your windows either intentionally, or because your home is so illuminated inside that anyone passing by can see what’s going on.
The privacy of your own home is just that: private, and blackout curtains will keep it that way.
Get the RYB Home Privacy Curtains for $27 at Amazon
6. You require a dark room for work
These stylish curtains comes in different color options.
Do you own a photography business that requires film developing in a darkroom? Maybe you are a professional masseuse who needs to set a relaxing mood? Enjoy summoning ghosts in your free time?
There may be any number of reasons why you need a darkened work space in your home. Blackout curtains keep this space extra dark so you don’t have to wait until evening to achieve that.
Get the Bingaman Solid Blackout Curtain Panels for $26 at Wayfair
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