Now more than ever, we all need to do what we can to stay healthy. Getting enough sleep each night is crucial to good health. If you are not getting a restful, deep sleep each night, however, you could be throwing off your body’s natural sleep rhythm. One big reason it is often difficult to get a good night’s sleep is this: Your bedroom may not be dark enough to allow you to fall into a deep sleep. Thankfully, there is a simple fix – swap your current window treatments for blackout shades.

The Science of Sleep

Our bodies run on their own internal clock that automatically resets every 24 hours. What triggers this is our exposure to light and darkness. When our bodies are exposed to light for longer periods, it can interfere with the production of melatonin and throw our internal clock out of sync. Melatonin is the sleep hormone that is released as it becomes darker and tells the body it is time to rest.

Unfortunately, the environmental factors outside your window can interfere with your sleep. Light from cars passing by, streetlights, and even the moon shining in your window can make it difficult for you to drift into a slumber or stay asleep. The next thing you know, your alarm clock is beeping at you to wake up, yet you feel anything but rested.

Other Obstacles to a Good Night’s Sleep

Aside from annoying bright lights outside your bedroom window, there are a couple of other obstacles that could be preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep — poor temperature control and sound filtering. Living in Florida, effective temperature control is essential if you don’t want to be sweating and kicking off your covers as soon as you wake up. Traditional shades may not cut it if you find yourself waking up to the sun’s blazing heat and light interrupting your slumber.

If you live in an area with a lot of hustle and bustle, loud noises may be the cause of your less-than-satisfying shut-eye. Not all window treatments are created equal when it comes to filtering sounds from the outside world.

Blackout Shades Could Be the Answer

While the name might sound a little ominous, blackout shades live up to their name. They are designed and made with opaque materials to provide ultimate light blockage — as well as temperature control and noise filtering. This makes them ideal for many people with many different situations.

Night Shift Workers

If you work the night shift, blackout shades are ideal for keeping your bedroom dark, cool and quiet during the daytime. This is essential – especially right now – for essential workers that work the night shift and need to get as much rest as they can.

New Parents

Sleep for new parents is few and far between. Blackout shades can allow newborns AND their parents to get better sleep – making for happier babies and less sleep-deprived parents. If your baby isn’t sleeping through the night, neither will you. Naptime and bedtime will likely be more successful with blackout shades that block out light, heat and noise that might wake your baby from his or her slumber. 

When you and your baby finally fall asleep, the last thing you want is to be woken up by annoying (but easy to mitigate) factors from the outside world.

Anyone!

While blackout shades are ideal for people with unique sleeping circumstances, they are also great for just about anyone who values their sleep, which – let’s be honest – is all of us. Whether you are jetlagged from traveling or you just had a really long week, blackout shades promise to give you the good night’s sleep that you deserve.

Stylish and Functional Blackout Shades

When shopping for window treatments that will block out light, you do not have to forego style. Our attractive Honeycomb shades are available in a blackout option and are an attractive addition to almost any room where you need better light control, including bedrooms and media rooms. Another option to consider is pairing Woven Wood shades with roller blackout shades.

In the Jacksonville area, the experts at All About Blinds & Shutters are happy to help you discover which window treatments are best for your home. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.