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Are you having trouble getting your baby to sleep?
There’s one trick you may not have tried yet– And that’s blackout curtains in the nursery. (These have been a game-changer for our son!)
Blackout curtains are a must-have for the nursery because they help promote better sleep for babies by blocking out sunlight and moonlight.
This makes it easier for babies to fall asleep and stay asleep longer, even during daytime naps.
Plus, blackout curtains look great and come in a variety of patterns and colors to match any room’s decor or style.
How are blackout curtains in the nursery helpful?
It’s no secret that light can help you wake up in the morning. But did you know it can also make it difficult for your baby to fall asleep?
A person’s natural circadian rhythm, or their internal clock, is regulated by exposure to sunlight and darkness.
And babies are no different. By the time a baby has reached 3 months old, they have developed their own circadian rhythm (source)
Exposure to too much light while trying to sleep at night suppresses melatonin production and disrupts sleep patterns.
In other words, keeping the nursery dark with blackout curtains helps promote better sleep for your baby because it keeps the room dark when it’s time to sleep.
Additionally, we all know how important it is to also give your baby a quiet environment to sleep in.
Blackout curtains also usually come with another benefit– Noise reduction.
These will help block out any sounds from outside that may disturb your baby’s sleep, such as outside traffic, the neighbor mowing their lawn, dog barking, etc.
Room darkening curtains vs blackout curtains: What’s the difference?
As you’re searching for the best curtains for the nursery, you may notice that the terms “room darkening curtains” and “blackout curtains” are used quite frequently.
But is there a difference or are they the same thing?
While the two terms may be used interchangeably at times, there is a difference.
Room darkening curtains are designed to block out most of the light, while blackout curtains are specifically designed to block all light.
If you don’t want your baby’s nursery to be completely dark, room darkening curtains are a great way to reduce the amount of light entering a room.
One thing you can do to ensure you’re getting the exact type of curtains you want is to see how much percentage of light is blocked out. You can usually find this in the product details.
What to look for when choosing the best nursery blackout curtains
There are a couple of things to take into consideration when shopping for blackout curtains for the nursery.
The first consideration– What are your expectations on the level of darkness for the room? Are you hoping for total darkness (or as close to it as possible) or were you hoping to find curtains that will allow a small amount of natural lighting to shine through?
Another point to consider is whether or not you will be using a nightlight in the nursery. If you plan to use a nightlight, you may want to opt for total blackout curtains since there will already be a small amount of light in the room.
If you’re afraid that total blackout curtains may make the room too dark, keep in mind you can easily open the curtains during the daytime to let some extra sunlight in the room.
The last to be mindful about when you’re choosing the perfect nursery blackout curtains– even with curtains that are designed to block out all sunlight and moonlight, you’ll probably see better results with darker colors.
For example, unless the curtains have an extra layer of fabric on the back, a dark blue will probably block out light better than bright yellow curtains.
The best blackout curtains for the nursery
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The BPment Moon and Stars Blackout Curtains are the perfect addition to any nursery if you are looking for curtains that will allow a small amount of natural light in, but still darken the room.
They are not lined, but the fabric is lightweight and blocks out 75% light.
These come in 6 different colors: baby pink, grayish-white, light gray, navy, pink, and dark gray. Each color includes the cute silver star design.
Why you’ll love them:
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The Deconovo Total Room Darking Curtains are an excellent option if your goal is a dark room instead of semi-dark.
These curtains have an extra back layer, which means that they will truly block out any light coming into your room, even bright street lights.
Choose between a total of 19 different colors. Personally, we love the lavender and the crystal pink!
Why you’ll love them:
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The Lush Decor Navy Whale Room Darkening Curtains would be an adorable addition to any nursery with a nautical or sea animal theme.
These curtains will filter out most natural lighting, but will still a small portion to peak through.
Since they block out 80% of light, you’ll still enjoy some other perks like temperature regulation and noise reduction, which is a win-win.
Why you’ll love them:
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The Estelar Textiler Blackout Curtains are another super cute option for the nursery.
They block out 85%-95% of light– As we mentioned above, the darker the color, the more light they block out effectively.
Another thing that stands out with these blackout curtains is that they are fade-resistant and the grommets won’t rust.
The star design comes in 7 different colors: beige, dark gray, gray, grayish-white, navy blue, pink, and Christmas red.
Why you’ll love them:
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The PrinceDeco Twinkle Star Blackout Curtains are an eco-friendly option for those who are extra mindful about the products they bring into their homes.
They include no chemical coating or formaldehyde.
If you’re looking to block out as much light from the nursery as possible, you can’t go wrong with these as they can block out 99% of sunlight and 100% of UV.
Why you’ll love them:
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The Unistar Rainbow Stars Blackout Curtains look as if they are straight out of a fairy tale.
But don’t let these beautiful blackout curtains fool you. Even with the start cutouts, they are still capable of blocking out 90% of sunlight and keeping out distracting noises.
The grommets are made of plastic material that pull smoothly. This will help you avoid disturbing your baby if you have to adjust the curtains while they’re sleeping.
With 16 different color variations to choose some, these will easily match any color scheme.
Why you’ll love them:
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The Mizone Kids Colorful Owl Blackout Curtains are so adorable if you have a nursery with an owl or flowers theme.
These adorable curtains include a foamback blackout liner to ensure that sunlight and loud noises are kept out of your baby’s room.
Keep in mind, at the time of writing this, these only come with one single panel rather than a pair. If you have a wider window, you may need to purchase two panels.
Why you’ll love them:
Best portable blackout curtains for traveling
Portable blackout curtains may not have crossed your mind, but let me tell you– These are absolutely essential for traveling.
This is the one thing I wish we would have had last year while we were on vacation.
The lack of blackout curtains in our 4-year-old’s room resulted in everyone waking up a lot earlier than I would have liked.
The minute the sunlight started peaking through his window, he was wide awake and ready for the day!
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The Amazon Basics Portable Blackout Curtain Shade is an easy-to-use solution to take with you when you’re traveling.
It includes velcro edges so that you can easily adjust the width to fit several window sizes and uses suction cups for fast and easy installation.
Block out sunlight, city lights, and any noises outside your baby’s window even while you’re on vacation!
These also come in 5 different designs: solid black with no pattern, black with moons and stars, navy with dinosaurs, navy with pink hearts, and teal with zoo animals.
Why you’ll love them:
As a new parent, you want to make sure your baby’s nursery is as soothing as possible.
Blackout curtains are one of the best ways to achieve this goal and ensure that your little one gets the best sleep possible.
That concludes our list of some of the best nursery blackout curtains, so be sure to check them out!
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