How Blockout Blinds Improve your Sleep
Have trouble sleeping? Light may be your issue. In this article we discuss the best blockout blind and curtain options for your bedroom windows that can improve the quality of your sleep. We offer a free in home measure and quote if you’d like to start on the road to better sleep today.
Our bodies are impressive machines, and naturally adapt to our changing environments. The brain responds to daylight, cueing our circadian rhythm and our natural sleep/wake cycle. In a perfect world, we would rise with the sun and sleep with the night, however in modern living, this simply is not the case.
It’s no secret technology has produced our dependency on unnatural light sources. A significant amount of us spend most of our days indoors under the harsh fluorescents of the workplace and our bodies crave natural sunlight. There may be very little wiggle room for lighting alternatives during the 9-to-5 day.
However, the one area where we all have complete control over our environment is in the bedroom. A few simple adjustments to your sacred sleeping space can easily help your body sync into its ideal natural rhythm.
For years, scientists have studied sleep and have always reached one simple conclusion. No light=better sleep. Even the Australian Sleep Institute promote darkened rooms for best quality sleep. In darkness, our bodies produce a natural hormone called Melatonin, which peaks in production around 3am, and disappears by around 9am. Daytime levels of Melatonin are barely traceable. So, what are the best ways of creating the ideal ‘no light’ sleeping space, and helping our bodies produce the Melatonin to sleep? The answer is blockout curtains or blockout honeycomb blinds.
What’s the solution?
The Luxaflex Duette Shades are designed to have a seamlessly close fit to the existing window frame, allowing only a very small light bleed on the edges. The blinds are created using two ‘cells’ encased within each other. The inner cell is a coated metallic fabric, offering complete blockage of outside light. Also, the blinds will help with insulation, keeping the room at your desired temperature.
Blockout curtains are the best blackout option in any bedroom. Curtains are usually fitted higher and wider than your windows. They wrap around at the edges and overlap in the middle which stops all light leakage. You can also use this in combination with a pelmet which prevents any light sneaking out over the top of the curtains.
During the summer months in certain states of Australia, daylight savings presents another set of challenges for those craving that deep night’s sleep. Parents of young children are particularly affected, as just the one hour time change, can drastically and irrevocably alter their little one’s sleep pattern. Keeping a firm bed time is much easier with the aid of blockout blinds or curtains.
Once your blinds are installed you can indulge in the sweet cocoon of darkness all night, and when it’s time to wake up, open your blinds and enjoy your morning coffee. The real aahhh moment will dawn on you when all you can hear is silence… because the rest of the household is still sleeping.
What are your ‘sleep better’ window furnishing options?
- Luxaflex Duette Shades
- Blockout Curtains
- Blockout Curtains with upholstered pelmet
FAQs
What’s the difference between an Blockout and Blackout Blinds?
The term is used interchangeably. There’s no difference between a Blockout Blind or a Blackout Blind. The terms just indicates that the fabric of the blind does not transmit light through itself.
Can I coordinate fabrics and colours to match my bedroom decor?
Absolutely! There are hundreds of fabric options to suit all colour schemes and décor.
Will blockout blinds give my bedroom total darkness?
No blind will give your bedroom total darkness. The Luxaflex Duette comes very close but the only way to achieve no light whatsoever is either with curtains and a pelmet or roller blinds in a headbox with side channels.
We offer a complimentary measure and quote and have thousands of fabric options to select from in our Brighton showroom or visit our Gallery for blockout blind inspiration for you bedroom.
We love the Luxaflex blinds. Will be back for more very soon!!
– Skye Wu
Luxaflex Duette Honeycomb Shades installed in a Melbourne Bedroom for best blockout.
Blackout shades for odd shaped and unusual windows is possible with the Luxaflex Duette blockout blind