Better Sleep with the Right Window Shade

Feeling a bit groggy today? Wish you could “sleep like a baby” and wake up ready for the day? The older I get – I’ll turn 45 this year – the more sensitive I seem to be to any ambient light at night. I used to be able to sleep through anything. These days, I find myself waking up multiple times before daybreak. 

Some of that is just “normal” aging, which I unfortunately cannot control. But what I can control is how much light is coming into my bedroom each night. 

I recently had the realization that, good golly, I own a window treatment company and can address the light issue any time I want. 

And so I did – upgrading from the (broken) aluminum blinds that have been in my bedroom since I bought my house to a blackout shade that will provide a better night sleep. I now no longer worry about a car headlight coming home late waking me up. 

Light and Sleep 

I will forever envy those who can sleep soundly without much effort. For the rest of us mortals, have you considered whether a darker bedroom might help? That gentle moonlight isn’t so quaint when it causes you to awaken at 2am. The streetlight, let’s be honest, that has always been annoying. Or the lights from cars driving down the street after midnight (where are these people going?) Or maybe you work the night shift, and you battle the sun every morning as the world awakens and you attempt to drive off to sleep. And let’s not forget about the toddlers who know nothing of reading a clock and are ready to embrace the day the moment the faintest glimmer of sunrise passes through their bedroom window and onto their sweet, innocent eye lids. 

Whatever the scenarios you are facing, I want to propose you consider an upgrade to room darkening shades. 

What are room darkening shades? 

The phrase “room darkening” refers to the quality of the fabric that prevents any light from penetrating the shade. Roller shades, honeycomb shades, and dual sheer shades all come with the option for a room darkening fabric. 

This upgrade alone makes a significant improvement in reducing the amount of light in a room. 

But, and there is always a but, all shades will have some light leakage around the shade. While the fabric stops all light from penetrating, the gaps between the fabric and the window will allow some light to sneak through.

For some, the benefits of the room darkening fabric is enough. For others, they need an even better option, a complete blackout option. 

And as I’m writing this article, you may have guessed that we do indeed have such an option. Our full blackout solution takes care of those light gaps and ensures that no light sneaks through those windows and into your room. You want pitch black, I cannot even see my hand in front of my face, kind of dark? We’ve got it. 

So whether you are trying to improve your own sleep, or trick your kids into thinking “it’s still night time,” consider swapping out your current window treatments for a room darkening option. The right shade can make your bedroom feel more restful – morning, night, or any shift in between.