I love summer as we all do in the UK, but I don’t love waking up at sunrise every morning. That beaming sunshine that is so welcome when you are relaxing in the park isn’t so welcome at 5 AM. I can sleep through birdsong with almost the same success rate as can be said for my ringtone alarm in the morning, but sunlight has me up and awake far earlier than I would wish for. Sometimes this leaves me tired during the day. Blackout blinds can solve this.
Blackout blinds
Blackout blinds are available in different sizes off the shelf and do solve this issue. They come in different types, some temporary, some permanent, but they all block out sunlight. The temporary ones are available with Velcro anchor points that remain on the window or frame and enable the blackout blind to be removed and stored elsewhere when not needed. The more permanent type can be bought over width and cut to size when you fit them. You should check that they conform to British standards and are not made from flammable material. Blackout blinds are the obvious answer, but I don’t have any!
A Temporary Solution
If you don’t have time to wait or are in a situation where you just need a temporary solution that utilises things you are likely to have in your home, or readily available in the local supermarket, a low-cost solution can be found by using aluminium baking foil. Aluminium foil is completely lightproof and non-flammable, it has the advantage of reflecting sunlight so will go some way to keeping your bedroom cool. As I have just tried this method, I would suggest that you tape the foil in strips on the window starting at the top and allowing the strip to fall downwards. This makes it easier to deal with the easily torn material. For a temporary fix, office tape seems secure enough. Cut some suitable lengths of tape first to make the job easier, then fix with a piece of the precut tape at the top and bottom. Overlap adjacent strips slightly to provide the best chance of blocking out all the light. If your location is breezy you may need to put some tape downward along the joints. This solution is obviously temporary but may be just what you need if you are staying in a hotel without blackout curtains or just require a solution at short notice.
If you have other suggestions on how to stop the early morning sun from waking you up we would love to hear them, so do leave us a comment in the section provided so we can share your ideas with our readers.