Product Review: Sleepout Shade
When I find a parent hack or product that is a game-changer in the mamahood, I have to share the love.
We are a family of adventurers. And with two kids under 4 (and one on the way), we are constantly trying to figure out how to black out a room for naps, early mornings, and overnights away from home.
I’ve tried all sorts of solutions in the past. Having my handy roll of masking tape and black garbage bags at the ready, tacking up blankets over the window, and trying an assortment of products from popular brands. The problem is, none of these were adequate solutions. They either looked terrible, fell down often, only darkened the room instead of blacking it out, or let light in around the edges, making the room too bright.
Before we jump into this game-changing product, let’s look at why it’s helpful to have black-out shades for sleep:
Black-out curtains help baby get to sleep when Melatonin isn’t being produced.
Melatonin, the body’s “sleepy juice" that helps baby to fall asleep, isn’t produced during the day. This means we have to help facilitate a great nap space for our babies, who have to work harder to get to sleep during the day. A blacked-out room is also helpful for preventing early morning wakings, especially in the summer, when that 5am light starts peeking through.
Black-out curtains are a cue for sleep.
Using a black-out shade can be part of your bedtime routine. Having a bedtime routine is our way of communicating to our little one that it is time for sleep. A bedtime routine might look like: Feed, bath, jammies/sleepsack, story, give kiss, place baby in crib, pull black-out shade, put on white noise machine, and saying a final “I love you!” before leaving the room. When the room routinely gets dark right before falling asleep, baby will connect that a dark room means sleepy time.
Black-out curtains prevent baby from getting distracted.
When the room is naturally lit, the world is baby’s oyster. Everything is entertaining and interesting. This delays sleep and sends baby into cycles of overtiredness.
White noise, black out blinds, and a cozy sleep sack are all great examples of how to help your baby.
As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Coach that has helped over a thousand families get their sleep back, you can trust me when I say that having a reliable black-out sleep shade is a must. It’s right up there along with a portable white noise machine and a sleep sack.
So you can only imagine my glee when I found The Sleepout Portable Blackout Curtain. Yes 👏🏻 Please 👏🏻
Here is why I love The Sleepout Portable Blackout Curtain and would recommend investing in it for yourself:
Get ready to literally change your travel experience with your little one. It is so fast and easy to set up and take down. Does your little one need a nap at Grandma’s house? Going on a trip and staying at a hotel? No worries. Bring the curtain along with you.
The quality can’t be beat. This curtain is thick and durable - if it’s covering the window properly, NO light is getting in!
It isn’t made with harmful chemicals and can be safely used around your little one. The 100% blackout fabric is certified to be free from harmful chemicals and with materials that will stand the test of time.
Is able to be adjusted for window size. Suction cups are strong enough to stay up for months and can hold the Sleepout Curtains vertically or horizontally.
They include a solution to prevent light leaks. The product comes with wall-safe sleep strips to help block any light that may be trying to peak through. And they actually solve the problem.
The drawbacks to the product?
There aren’t enough sleep strips if you often use this product on-the-go. The sleep strips are AWESOME at preventing light leaks… but they aren’t reusable. I’d recommend ordering an extra set to have handy.
I legitimately use this product in my girls’ bedrooms, and take it along for all on-the-go adventures. You have to check it out!
All the love to humans everywhere who are making our lives more enjoyable by creating useful and beautiful products! I absolutely LOVE the Sleepout Portable Blackout Curtain - it has a permanent place in my home and my heart! Don’t just take my word for it, though - check it out for yourself at https://sleepoutcurtains.ca/ or find them on Instagram at @sleepout.
Sleep Sweetly,
Anna