Having a dark room is one of the essential elements for good sleep. For one thing, darkness helps our bodies naturally produce melatonin (the sleepy hormone). And for another, darkness is essential in keeping kids from becoming distracted by their surroundings. If you have a child waking up in the early morning or consistently taking short naps, the very first thing to check is the level of darkness in the room!

When I say the room should be dark for sleep, I mean PITCH BLACK*. Many blackout solutions will work just fine for nighttime sleep because they’re only blocking out the lower light of stars and the moon. But since children nap during the day, you’ll need blackout solutions capable of blocking out the sun, which is no easy feat! In today’s post, I’m sharing a few of my favorite *true* blackout solutions.

*Just want to leave a note here that you don’t want complete darkness for naps for newborn babies 6-8 weeks old because napping with some light will help regulate their biological clocks!

The problem with traditional blackout curtains is that they still let in so much light around the top/bottom/sides of the window. You can solve for these lightbleeds in a variety of ways. Blackout solutions can range from inexpensive to very expensive, and from ugly to chic, but darkness is achievable for everyone, so find the solution that works for your family!

Tin Foil or Black Poster Board & Painter’s Tape - $

This option is cheap, easy, and can be done in under an hour. It's a great option if you want something inexpensive, temporary*, and NOW.

The downsides of this option are that it’s not the prettiest solution, and it’s not removable on a daily basis.

Pick up the supplies you need at your local grocery store for $10 or less!

*When you eventually remove the tape, you may find tape residue. This can be easily cleaned with a razor or lemon oil.

Blackout EZ Blinds - $$

Blackout EZ Blinds work in the same way as the foil and tape. They are essentially a sheet of vinyl that velcros into place around your window.

The benefits of Blackout EZ blinds are that they look nicer (than the tin foil) and can be removed to let sunlight in. Theoretically, you can remove the covering anytime you want to let sunlight in, and still put it back up again later (unlike the foil and tape, which would need to be replaced if you took them down).

The downside of Blackout EZ blinds is that you’ll need to adhere velcro around the window in order to attach the vinyl piece. I haven’t yet needed to remove the sticky velcro, but I’m guessing it will take a bit more effort to remove all the adhesive.

This is the product I’ve had in the nursery since Ada was 6 months old, and I love it for the darkness it provides! I rarely remove the Blackout EZ blinds because they’re just tricky enough to maneuver that I don’t like to do it unless I have to. So if you want a more removable option, I’d go with something else.

Blackout EZ Blinds come in a few standard sizes, as well as custom sizes, and start around $30 per window. Click to see the Blackout EZ Blinds in action.

Sleepout Curtains - $$

Sleepout curtains include suction cups and a blackout curtain. You adhere the suction cups to any window, and then velcro the curtain into place. Optionally, you can add Sleepout Pads to help with any (tiny) lightbleeds that are leftover.

The benefits of Sleepout curtains are their portability and ease of removal — both on a daily basis and after a long period of time! You can use Sleepout curtains every day at home, when you travel, or both! You can easily take down the curtain (and leave the suction cups) during the day to allow sunlight into the room, and then easily put it back up at naptime and bedtime. And whenever you decide to remove the suction cups (and the sticky sleepout pads), you won’t have to worry about any damage or adhesive issues.

The downside with Sleepout curtains is that if you intend to use them on a daily basis, you’ll either need to forgo the Sleepout pads (which may mean a tiny amount of lightbleeds) or buy many of them, as the sticky pads only work for about 10 uses.

We opted to use this option in our 5-year-old’s room. This blackout solution keeps her from waking early in the mornings but is easily removed for a sunlit quiet time. We don’t use the Sleepout pads and the lightbleeds are not a problem for us!

Sleepout curtains start at about $85 per curtain (54” X 78”), and you can get 10% off your order with the code “SCSP”. Click to see the Sleepout curtains in action.

SlumberPod - $$$

If your child sleeps in a pack and play, a SlumberPod is a GREAT way to get them full darkness. SlumberPods safely cover your pack and play, providing complete darkness while maintaining safe airflow.

Personally, I only use a SlumberPod for sleep away from home, but I couldn’t live without it!! It makes traveling so much less stressful for me because I know that my child will still have a dark place to sleep. Not only that, but I just keep it in the trunk of my car so that if I’m ever going to a friend’s house or my parents’ house, I can easily bring the darkness with me and still get my kiddo a nap while we’re gone. Check out this blog post for several helpful ways to use a SlumberPod.

The highest benefit of Slumberpods is that they’re portable, so they’re great for travel darkness! They’re very compact, so they’re easy to take wherever you’re going.

I used to say that the downside with SlumberPods is that they only fit over smaller beds (pack and plays, mini cribs, portable toddler beds), so they likely only fit children 3 and under. HOWEVER, SlumberPod just introduced the HomeBase, which allows the SlumberPod to fit over a full-size crib!

SlumberPods start around $175, but you can get $20 off using my links (US link, Canada link) or my discount code (SCSP$20).

Indow Window Coverings - $$$$

Indow Window coverings are firm, removable panels that are edged in silicone compression tubing to seal out light. You simply press them into place for naps and/or nights, and remove them anytime you wish to let sunlight in.

The benefits of Indow Windows are that they’re the most sleek option, as well as the most easily removed.

However, the downside of these coverings is that they’re definitely the most expensive, starting around $20 per square foot of window. For reference, I got quoted at $346 for one window covering (53x46”), plus a $199 shipping fee for the large size.

Full disclosure, I’ve never actually used these myself, but I’m still including them in my “favorite blackout solutions” blog because I love the idea of them. So far, Indow Windows are just a dream for me 🤣😁

Darkness is important for providing a great sleep environment, and you truly can make it happen on any budget! How do you black out your child’s room?

And since we’re talking about sleep environments, make sure your little one’s sleep environment is safe for sleep as well!