Block out the light!!!!

[ksc0723]

Hey all you night RN's. Me and the hub are now officially on night shift together (yay) and I need some window advice.

Here is the deal. We have a loft and our bedroom is in the loft. There are two rectangular sized windows (vertically rectangular so longer height wise than width) that are on a slanted A frame type ceiling. The windows are not flush to the ceiling, but like sky lights so very high. (we can't reach the crap blinds that block out nothing without a long pole thing to open and close the blinds).

So, long story short, how do we block out the light? I have been sleeping on the couch for the last few months because it is darker in our living room. I would like to sleep in my bed with my husband now that we are on the same shift but absolutely cannot sleep up there because it is so bright. I've tried eye masks and it is so irritating. What and how can we cover these skylight windows with?

Thanks for the input

[njmomstudent]

wow.

you are one golden-hearted person.:lttang:

leslie

Its really not a big deal at all. It would take me all of an hour at the most. I know if I was working nights I would want that room pitch black. No sleep is pretty much torture (for me anyway), so if I can help, so be it LOL!!! If I don't get sleep I start going looney and get bipolar. No one needs to feel that way!!!

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

I'll pipe in with the idea of an eye mask ... not one of those cheap ones but mine was gel filled which was great. It was large but it was as if I wasn't wearing anything on my face. It was quite expensive but worth it. I like the idea of having some sunlight on me while I sleep with the air conditioner blowing at full speed while I'm all cuddled up. Now about those Jehovah Witnesses

[ksc0723]

Thanks for the suggestion. I like the wood frame idea. I would like to be able to put them in and take them out so doing the wood frame idea, could I insert the frames when I go to sleep and take them out when I wake up? does that sound feasible?

[rn/writer, RN]

Congrats on joining your husband on noc shift. DH and I have been on nights together for years and it really works well for us. We have "our" room, which is fine with dark shades. And then after a bit of cuddling, he goes to "his" room which has cardboard inserted into the lone window frame to make it like a cave. I'm not big on eye masks or ear plugs. Can't sleep with anything touching my face.

If you're going to try the wooden frames, there is no need to only go with black. If you sew, you could make quilt pieces (with thick batting) that you could glue or tack to the frames. Pick colors that go well with your room. And maybe make another matching quilt for your bed. Just make sure the quilt pieces for the skylight openings opaque enough to block the light.

If you don't sew, buy two inexpensive thick comforters and use one for the window frames and one for the bed.

You could fasten the frames to the opening with hooks or magnets or a combination of the two.

Let us know what you decide.

[Eliseinalaska]

You could fasten the frames to the opening with hooks or magnets or a combination of the two.

Ooh, I like the magnet idea! That way you could easily take the frames off when you want sun in the room. Velcro might also work for attaching them.

I can sleep with some light, so I use blackout curtains, sometimes only partway closed. I sleep in the guest room on in between days to avoid interruptions from husband and teens, the bedroom when I just want a few hours after the last night on and still be able to hear what the rest of the family is doing.