The Best Blackout Curtains for Nursery Rooms
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You’re trying to put together a safe sleep environment for your baby. You got the white noise machine, baby’s crib, the changing table, but you’re stuck trying to find blackout curtains that will help keep the bright sun out of the baby’s room. These are the best blackout curtains for nursery rooms and I’ll share which one is my TOP pick of all!
This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a commission if you click or make a purchase. In addition, the information on this site is NOT intended to be medical advice. Please seek professional medical care if needed. See my full policy for more information.
The Best Blackout Curtains for Nursery Rooms
Blackout curtains are wonderful to keep in your baby’s nursery to promote a calm and soothing sleep environment.
When you think about their life in the womb, they spent a lot of time in the dark. So it makes sense that a dark room vs. a room full of bright light would have the most calming effect for them.
Most bedrooms don’t have blinds or windows that ever really seal out all the sunlight — that’s exactly where blackout curtains come into play!
You can find pretty inexpensive portable blackout curtains, blackout nursery shades, and even cheap paper blinds if you’re really on a tight budget all on the list below! Let’s see which ones are the best for your baby’s nursery room.
1. Blackout Pleated Shade
These pleated shades are perfect for those on a tight budget and who maybe only have a few smaller windows to cover.
They’re easy to use and adjusting the size is as simple as cutting the width you need with a knife!
Because they’re so cheap, they work well for those who travel often and need to cover up a window or two on the go.
Aside from needing NO tools to put up these shades and being a great budget-friendly option, you’ll be glad to know that they do, in fact, block out lots of light.
Read More: Best Sleep Sack for Toddlers & Baby
2. Portable Blackout Baby Curtains
Finding a high-quality blackout curtain for your baby’s room will be important if you travel a lot.
What I love most about this style of curtain is that you can use the suction cups to custom fit to pretty much any sized window! And, they’re another affordable option.
The downside? Sometimes with curtains like these is that there can be little gaps between the window and the sides the curtain hangs down letting in just a teeny tiny bit of light.
I’ve personally never found that this bothered either of my boys, however, some babies can be sensitive to just the slightest bit of light so it’s something to consider when choosing this option.
3. Slumberpod
Have you heard of the fancy light-blocking sleep nook, known as the Slumberpod?
The Slumberpod is one of a kind. Instead of blocking out light from the windows, this little nook blocks out light by preventing it from getting into its pod-shaped cover!
You can use the Slumberpod over a mini crib, a pack & play, or even a little toddler sleep cot. Because of its dimensions, you’ll need to measure your little one’s crib to make sure it will fit if you don’t have a mini crib.
4. Nicetown Blackout Curtain Panels
If you’re looking for a more elegant set of blackout curtains that will blend in nicely with your nursery decor (you know, instead of just looking like a solid black square on the wall), these are the ones for you!
Unlike the portable options above, these decorative blackout curtains have to be mounted up on a curtain rod, so be sure to take your measurements beforehand to ensure you order the correct width.
5. Blackout Window Roller Shades
I won’t lie, I always wanted to try out some blackout window roller shades for my son’s room for a couple of reasons.
One, they’re much sleeker and just look nicer than curtains in my opinion. Two, they mount nicely and you hardly ever see the drawstring. Three, because they don’t hang far down the window, you never need to worry about your little one playing with them (the way they can with curtains).
Read More: Newborn breaking out of a swaddle? It could be time to stop swaddling!
6. Temporary Blackout Blinds
I’ll be honest. I have no idea why these are called temporary blackout blinds. They work and look very similar to the portable blackout curtains.
The one difference I did notice is that this set does appear to have more suction cups so that it can really block out as much light as possible (and doesn’t leave much room for light to sneak in). With such a low price point, it’s still a wonderful option.
7. BGMent Blackout Curtains with Liner
If having a matching and themed nursery is your jam, these blackout curtains with the liner are a must.
You can grab blackout curtains from this brand in over 6 different colors. They’re incredibly easy to install on a curtain rod. And their sun-blocking design works great to block out 100% sunlight and UV rays, even during the bright middays!
8. Blackout Window Film
Blackout Window Film, like this one, is a great alternative to curtains or shades! There are no tools or fancy mounting items needed.
All you need is a steady hand and some patience. However, even though this WILL black out all of the light from your window, you won’t be able to let any sunlight in unless you peel it off each time.
If you never plan to need any sun in the room, this could be a great option, but I’d opt for one of the curtains or shades above if you do.
9. Blackout Bed Tent Canopy
Similar to the Slumberpod, the Bed Tent Canopy is a larger option for older babies and young toddlers who no longer use a crib.
The nice part about these types of shades is you’re not having to put any type of curtain or shade up on your windows. Instead, it’s all in the cover over the bed. It’s pretty easy to set up as well.
10. Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtains
What better than a curtain that blacks out the light AND helps balance the temperature in the room through its thermal insulated fabric?!
If you have a nursery room that gets too hot or too chilly easily, these thermal insulated curtains could be the right ones for you!
Best Blackout Curtains FAQs
Knowing which curtains are the best blackout curtains for nursery can be tricky. You must consider what is most important when choosing your curtains.
Do you only want them to block out the sun? Do you want that double-layer design to help with insulation? Would you prefer a more permanent design needing a curtain rod?
Once you have had some time to think about this, then you can find the best blackout curtains for your baby’s nursery.
Are Blackout Curtains Necessary For Baby?
Blackout curtains are not 100% necessary to get your baby to sleep, but they sure do make a big difference.
Light exposure, has time and time again been shown to disrupt the circadian rhythm in humans when exposed just before or during sleep. In other words, it suppresses the body’s melatonin production which is the main hormone that helps to make people sleepy.
In young babies, they don’t yet have a good grasp between day and night. So having that ability to block out the light during bedtime can help their bodies begin to understand that cycle.
In older children, it helps them sleep better at night because their body can produce optimal amounts of melatonin and STAY asleep through the night. Think about it, when you wake up in the middle of the night, if you saw tons of light seeping in through the windows, you’d probably struggle to fall back asleep. This concept is no different for our children.
So although blackout curtains aren’t 100% necessary, they can definitely help a lot.
When to Stop Using Blackout Blinds and Curtains?
There is no definitive time or age to stop using blackout blinds or curtains. In fact, I have plenty of adult friends who use blackout curtains in their own rooms to help them sleep.
As long as it seems like your child is benefitting from sleeping in a dark room, I would continue to use them.
If you’re a traveling family you can try to see how they will sleep without the room being so dark or grab a pair of portable blinds/curtains to blackout the room.
Do Blackout Blinds Help Baby Sleep Better?
Are they necessary at all costs? No. Can blackout curtains or blinds help your baby sleep better? ABSOLUTELY!
Now that you know which blackout curtains are the best for your baby’s nursery AND how they can help your little one sleep, which one do you think would look best in your baby’s nursery?
