5 Easy Tips to Darken the Bedroom

By Dave Donovan

Some people have the envious capability to be able to sleep anywhere, even in a bedroom where there’s a band playing in the next room or in a bedroom that’s drenched in sunlight. But, most of us require complete silence and darkness in order for our minds to shut off enough so we can drift asleep and stay asleep for at least eight hours every night. Getting everyone to quiet down is usually as easy as asking nicely, but making the bedroom really dark can take a little more work. Here are five easy tips to darken the bedroom so you can enjoy a more restful sleep any time of day or night.

Tip 1: Install Black-Out Shades or Drapes

Black-out shades and drapes are specially made window treatments that are designed to block the sun’s rays from getting through the windows. They can differ in price quite substantially and taking precise measurements is the key to their effectiveness. Being a quarter-inch off on the width or height can create a seam of light that can sometimes be more bothersome than not using the shades or drapes at all.

Tip 2: Install Tinted UV Window Film

Tinted self-adhesive window film is available at most home improvement stores and this thin plastic can help reduce the intensity of the sun’s rays from getting through the windows. Tinted UV film also helps reduce heat in the room in the summertime and help keep warmth in the room in the winter. The vinyl film does need to be cut to fit, so again, precise measurements are very important.

Tip 3: Choose a Dark Decor

From the paint you use on the walls to the color of the furniture to the comforter you keep on your bed, if you want your bedroom to be dark, everything in the bedroom should equally be dark in color. Ideal colors that can keep a room dark yet warm and inviting include dark greens, blues or reds.

In addition, you should remove your mirrors and only use furniture and decorations with non-reflective surfaces as this will cut down on the sun’s ability to bounce around the room.

Tip 4: Go Analog

Digital alarm clocks have big, bright numbers that can really lighten up a room at night, even on the dimmest setting. If you want a really dark room, forgo modern conveniences and use a good old fashioned wind-up alarm clock. As a side benefit, you’ll never be late for work on those mornings when your electricity goes out in the middle of the night.

By going analog, you should also get rid of any electronic equipment in your room, like your TV, cable box and/or DVD player or VCR as most of these have bright LED lights that can affect your sleep.

Tip 5: Use Foam Insulation Boards

If you want to enjoy a dark room at night but you like having the sunshine enter the bedroom during the day, use custom-cut pieces of foam board insulation and slide them between the window and the shades to give you the darkness you crave. Precise measurements are necessary for optimum light blocking. Over time, these foam boards will break apart with constant installation and removal, but they do offer an inexpensive and easy solution to darkening any bedroom. Plus, if you set the boards in the windows with the reflective side facing out during the dog days of summer, they’ll help reflect the sun’s rays in the summer so your bedroom will stay nice and cool all day and all night.