Improving Sleep with Blackout Curtains: Pros and Cons?
This article is not intended to be a medical guide. It is only for informational purposes. Speak to your doctor if you have any concerns or questions.
You may have thought about buying blackout curtains if you were ever kept awake at night by light coming in through the window. Do they work? Are there any disadvantages?
This post will look at the pros, cons and benefits of blackout curtains for a better night’s rest.
What is a Blackout Curtain?
The blackout curtains are thicker and made from a tightly woven fabric, which does not allow light to pass through. These curtains are designed to block out all outside light, creating a dark, cozy environment.
Blackout curtains are especially useful if your windows are facing a busy street or orientated east. If you are easily disturbed by the sunlight that comes through your windows, a blackout drape might be worth investing in.
The Blackout Curtains Can Help You Sleep Better
Blackout curtains can create a dark, quiet environment that reduces noise and keeps sunlight out of your bedroom (or from waking you). These factors all help to improve sleep quality.
1. Keep the room dark.
Ideal light levels in your bedroom should not exceed 5 lux. Unwanted exposure to light can disturb your circadian rhythms, making it difficult to fall asleep.
A pitch-black bedroom is associated with a deeper, longer sleep. Your body produces more melatonin when you turn off all the lights. This hormone helps you to sleep.
Researchers found that people who use blackout curtains sleep an hour more than those who don’t.
Another report reports older people with insomnia who sleep in darker rooms feel more rested and more refreshed during the day. Researchers have also found that sleeping completely in darkness may reduce depression.
2. Limits Thermal Fluctuation
Blackout curtains reduce the amount of heat transferred by windows, allowing for a more comfortable and consistent room temperature. Thermal insulation can be especially helpful if temperature fluctuations are causing you to have difficulty sleeping.
Blackout curtains are an additional layer of insulation that prevents heat from escaping the room in winter. Blackout curtains are thicker and trap more heat than normal curtains. This keeps your room warm for a good night’s sleep.
Blackout curtains in the summer can also keep your room cool, by reflecting heat that would otherwise accumulate within the room. This, in turn, prevents the loss of AC cooling. It also keeps the room cooler. has reported in several studies that sleeping in a cooler environment promotes deeper rest.
3. Reduces Outside Noise
The blackout curtain’s thicker fabric also acts as a sound barrier. Blackout curtains are estimated to absorb up to 25% of ambient noise.
Strange noises or strange sounds can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Some people may prefer to sleep with the white-noise machine on or drift off to the quiet lull of a TV. But most people will sleep better when there is silence.
Are Blackout Curtains Bad for Sleep?
There are some obvious benefits of blackout curtains. However, they also have some potential downsides. The two most common arguments against blackout drapes are:
1) Loose sense of time
Our bodies can lose their natural ability to awaken when there is no natural light in our bedroom. Natural light is what helps us know the time, so we can’t function without it.
Oversleeping is the result. Oversleeping is often associated with many health conditions, including depression, heart disease and obesity.
Oversleeping may also affect the circadian clock, which regulates our sleep-wake cycles. being out of your regular sleep cycle may cause difficulties in completing tasks. For example, a weak attention span can make it difficult to concentrate or be productive.
2) The room will always be dark unless you open the curtains.
Blackout curtains can also have the downside of keeping the room dark even when you are awake. It would be necessary to open curtains to let the light through, which is a pain (especially if like me you are lazy).
It all depends on your sleep requirements, preferences, and situation.
Alternatives to Blackout Curtains
- Sleep masks are available in a variety of styles. You can also find out more about the A-Team here. Sleep masks are a great alternative. It is very effective at blocking unwanted light. A mask is not for everyone.
- Noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs: Outside noise can be a major problem. Noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs They are more effective at reducing noise than blackout curtains. It’s similar to sleep masks, but it can be uncomfortable to wear headphones and earplugs at night.
- Paint your windows black. This is a simple way to create a blackout effect.
When choosing blackout curtains, there are several factors to consider.
After you decide that blackout drapes are the right choice for you, you still have to take into consideration a few things before you make your purchase.
- The Size of Your Windows: Of course, the size and shape of your window will determine how large a curtain is needed. It’s important to also consider the height. The curtains should be long enough so that they cover the whole window.
- Manual or motorised: Some blackout drapes come with a system that allows them to be opened and closed with the touch of a button. You can also program the curtains to open and shut at specific times. Be prepared to spend a bit more if you want a motorised system.
- Use Thicker Fabrics: Blackout curtains need to be made from heavy fabrics with high density to block out light effectively. The fabric thickness is indicated by higher GSM ratings (grams per sq. metre). Higher thread counts will create a more dense fabric that blocks light and provides greater privacy. If you want something thick, but still affordable, polyester is a good option. Choose velvet or suede if price is not a factor.
- Choose Dark Colours. It is important to choose dark colours for blackout curtains because lighter shades may allow some light through. There are many colourful options available, but these won’t block out the light as effectively. Consider black, dark grey, navy blue and graphite.
- Quality and Price: Avoid cheap blackout drapes with cardboard or foam back as they may not be machine washable and some lose their effectiveness after each wash. Aim for a price range of $50 to $100 per curtain panel.
- Consider Maintenance and Care: Polyester curtains can be machine washed, while velvet curtains need to be dried and cleaned. Cardboard-backed curtains also cannot be washed. It’s important to consider the cost of maintenance and care when purchasing.
The Bottom Line
Blackout curtains may not be able to fix your morning routine or get rid of your neighbour’s snoring, but they can certainly improve the quality of your sleep.
Consider other options for creating a comfortable sleeping environment, such as your wall colours or keeping plants inside your room.
