NOCS: How to darken a room?

Nurses General Nursing

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I will be starting on nights soon and tend to have a hard time sleeping sometimes so darkening my room is of highest priority to me.

I have been looking into Blackout shades. I would like an inside mount but would that block 100% light? Wouldn't it leak through on the sides anyway? I live in Arizona so I need something that WORKS. I know an outside mount would work but I don't want something that is going to look bad, and I want something that I can use like normal blinds on my days off (ie, I want light in the room). Because of this, aluminum foil is just not an option. Plus, hubby would like some light after he gets home in the day I am sure.

I need to know what works BEST but is not totally ghetto. I don't really want to nail dark curtains to my wall or whatever. I am not sure I can sleep with a sleep mask either since I spend most of my sleep on my stomach with my face pressed into the pillow...Any tips would be great!

Specializes in cardiac/education.
Sleep in your closet hehehe. Hey thrashej, I was thinking about that too.

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

OMG, that is too funny! Actually, 30 minutes ago when hubby and I were exploring my options he discovered the closet and he's like, "hey, all you'd need is a blow up mattress and a little fan routed with an extension cord and VOILA! Total darkness". We were laughing but I was TOTALLY thinking about it!!! :nono: ;)

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

Well, I want to go the cheap route but I wonder if maybe I should get some sort of shades since this is AZ and it is sooooo hot. WOW, my AC bill is going to be HUGE!!!!!!:uhoh3:

Ok......so what is the most comfortable sleep mask out there????

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gotta be creative LOL

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

OMG, that is too funny! Actually, 30 minutes ago when hubby and I were exploring my options he discovered the closet and he's like, "hey, all you'd need is a blow up mattress and a little fan routed with an extension cord and VOILA! Total darkness". We were laughing but I was TOTALLY thinking about it!!! :nono: ;)

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Specializes in Peds, ER/Trauma.
Well, I want to go the cheap route but I wonder if maybe I should get some sort of shades since this is AZ and it is sooooo hot. WOW, my AC bill is going to be HUGE!!!!!!:uhoh3:

Ok......so what is the most comfortable sleep mask out there????

I use a silk-lined sleep mask I got on e-bay for like 5 bucks. Also sometimes wear ear plugs- they block out street noise, etc. but I can still hear my alarm.

Not sure who sells them, but I have seen thermal drapes- they keep the room cool in summer & block out light as well.

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Using a gluestick, I put tinfoil over the glass. Not only is my bedroom dark as night, the tinfoil also reflects the heat... and it's CHEAP!

;-)

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Here is what I did: Measure the INSIDE of my windows then added 1/2 in or so all around (height and width). Went to upholstery section of fabric store and bought black vinyl that had a flannel backing (have seen tablecloths made of this stuff too). Cut to fit. Took tension rod and wrapped top edge of material over rod, then taped or glued down. No sewing. When I needed dark I screwed up the rods by hand. When I did not need the blinds I un-did the tension and rolled the whole thing up before sticking under the bed. I wore plugs in my ears. I kept the room COOL. I turned off the phone in my room. I threatened friends/family if they called before a specific time. Even if I heard the phone I would ignore it.The only thing that bothered me was the guy next door cleaning his pool or cutting grass, but that was not often enough to be hazardous to HIS health (tsk). Get selfish.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

I am a fire survivor so the dark is not my most happy situation.

However, hubby has pale blue eyes, and worked nights forever. So black shades fitted inside the frame (black on inside, white toward the outside) cost like 10 at Kmart, and black mini blinds fitted outside the frame. Curtains with tiebacks that loop over a thingy so they could also be closed. I had my snoopy light on when I slept at night. And he had his darkened room when he slept in the daytime and all was ok.

Now we are both retired he sleeps at night too, and we are back to the too much/not enough light debate again :)

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Specializes in LTC.

I have two sets of curtians on my windows, inners curtians are black denim that I got on clearance at Wal-Mart. I had to do some hemming, but they comepletely black out my room. Since black cutrians aren't very pretty, I have a set of purple ones just a little shorter than my black curtians so the black peaks out a little and it looks cute.

I also use a sleep mask. I find that I need it less for keeping the light out and more for the feeling of the cloth against my face. For some reason the feeling of a sleep mask puts me asleep. I guess it's kind of like white noise for the eyes? The one I found that I really like I got from Claires Botique. It has extra padding along the bottom for comfort and to block out the extra light.

I also always have to have a fan on and the TV on a low volume for white noise.

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Specializes in LTC.

I have two very dark blankets that I hang over my windows to keep out all the light, but I want a walk in closet so I can throw a bed in there and sleep there ((hehehehe)) I also sleep with the fan on high...

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I got sheets of black foamcore board from Hobby Lobby (Michael's, most art supply stores) and cut them to fit inside the window. If you measure well it cuts out most all light. They're about 1/4" thick styrofoam so I'm sure they would insulate too while you have them up. Easy to take out and stick in a closet or under the bed when you're up and living in the daytime world and much cheaper than custom window treatments!

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

Dark curtains, mask and ear plugs (ear plugs are a necessity. I live next to acres of grass that demand to be mowed every other day it seems! :banghead: )

And a sign on the door threatening life and limb of anyone who woke me for less than the direst emergency!!
A friend of mine had:

"If you choose to disturb me between the hours of 8 am - 6 pm, you better be the police, the fire department or paramedics.

- ARMED, tired, grumpy 3rd shifter."

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