Are you tired of getting woken up at 5 am on vacation?
Does your child refuse to nap when you’re at a friends?
These are just some of the main reasons why every parent needs to start traveling with portable blackout curtains.
Quite frankly, my life as a mother got A LOT easier once I discovered the Sleepout Curtain.
That’s why I’ve decided to do a full, in-depth review of these removable blackout curtains.
I’ll show you how you can completely darken any room, in just a few seconds!
If you’ve been searching for travel blackout curtains, look no further…
Disclosure: Affiliate links are used in this post, at no cost to you.
Update: Sleepout has provided us with a discount code… use GREENSPRING10 for 10% off today!
3 Reasons Why Every Parent Should Travel With Portable Blackout Curtains
Parents are the gatekeepers to their child’s sleep habits—so it’s important for parents to help their babies develop good ones.
According to the Sleep Foundation, here’s how much sleep your child needs:
- Newborn – 14 to 17 hours
- Infant – 12 to 15 hours
- Toddler – 11 to 14 hours
- Preschool – 10 to 13 hours
- School Age – 9 to 11 hours
You, as a parent, need 7 or more hours of restful sleep in order to be able to properly care for your family and yourself!
Sleep allows a baby’s brain to develop and it’s also when physical development happens as well.
I think we can all agree that sleep is SUPER important!
Here are 3 reasons why every parent should travel with portable blackout curtains…
Reason # 1: Put your child to sleep easier at night time, even when it’s still light outside.
Having a sleepover at a family member’s home? With travel blackout curtains, a 7:30 pm bedtime during day light savings is no problem!
Whenever we travel to my sister’s house, my daughter has to sleep in the playroom since my husband & I take up the only guest room.
Unfortunately there are no curtains in there, so I put up my Sleepout Curtain to completely blackout the room.
Before we started doing this, she was waking up at 6 am! Now with total darkness she usually sleeps until 7-7:30 am. 100% worth it!
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Reason # 2: Prevent early wake ups as soon as the sun comes up.
What’s worse than bedtime taking over an hour? Those 5-6 am early wake ups!
Prevent early wake ups as soon as the sun comes up by using travel blackout curtains.
When we sleep at my in-law’s house, their guest room only has sheer curtains.
We ALWAYS bring our Sleepout Curtains so the kids will sleep in later!
When we get uninterrupted sleep, everyone wins.
Reason # 3: Keep your child’s room cool during those warmer months.
Does your child’s room overheat in the summertime?
You can use these portable blackout curtains behind your standard curtains to not only keep the remainder of light out, but also to keep your child’s room cooler all summer long.
They are thermal insulating so they also keep heat in the room over the winter!
When my toddlers were babies I was always stressed out about whether they were too hot or cold while they were sleeping in their nurseries.
Many times our upstairs level completely overheated no matter how hard our A/C was working. Using Sleepout Curtains will help alleviate that issue!
Related: 13 Brilliant Toy Storage Ideas for the Living Room
Sleepout Curtain Review
Have you been searching for a solution to blackout a room for your children while traveling?
Maybe this is the first time you are hearing about the Sleepout Curtain.
Below I’m going to share my honest review of this product with you.
We’ll cover its size and portability, ease of use, who it is for, and whether it’s worth purchasing.
Portability, Size and Weight
According to their website, the Sleepout Curtain comes in a convenient travel bag that’s 14.5″ x 5″ x 5″ in size and weighs 1.95 lbs.
This handy travel bag does feel crazy lightweight!
As you can see above, it comes with a nice carrying handle for if you were carrying it from the car inside.
You could opt to stuff the carrying bag(s) into your large pieces of luggage if you wanted to consolidate the amount of things you have to carry.
Personally, I found I was too lazy to perfectly roll up my Sleepout Curtains to fit back into their carrying bags, so I tend to just fold and stuff them into my children’s larger travel bags.
The actual dimensions of the curtain are 54” x 78” (about 4.5 x 6.5 feet).
Related: 12 Safe Alternatives to the Rock and Play
Ease of Use
The Sleepout Curtain can be hung horizontally or vertically, so they can be installed on any size windows.
Most rooms have more than one window, so I definitely recommend getting a pack of two curtains. Each curtain comes with its own two pack of excellent quality suction cups, so you’ll get four included suction cups total.
Two of these temporary blackout shades will also cover you in case you run into an abnormally wide window.
This product is a super easy installation…
Simply lock the strong suction cups onto the corners of the window glass and then press the velcro on the curtain to the cups. It took seconds!
I’ve had no concerns with the suction cups – they’ve held on super strong and the curtains have never fallen down.
You can also block any light bleeds with their reusable Sleep Pads, which come with your blackout curtains in the carrying bag.
Personally I felt that the Sleepout Pads slowed me down when traveling, but at home it would 100% be worth removing the light bleeds for daily use.
Who Is It For?
Honestly, the Sleepout Curtain is for anyone!
All children, regardless of age, need to get a good night’s sleep.
If you have a unicorn child that never wakes up, I’m jealous!
My daughter however starting waking up MORE the older she’s gotten.
Keeping the rooms she sleeps in 100% dark has really helped us.
It’s totally for adults too! Darkness helps release melatonin.
Melatonin signals that it’s time for sleep. Light at night blocks melatonin production by 56%, which is why blackout curtains are so important.
Related: DockAtot or Snuggle Me: Which Should I Choose?
Is it Worth It?
As parents we NEED and LOVE sleep! If it’s a good quality product and it gets me even 30 minutes more sleep, it’s 100% worth it.
The Sleepout Curtain is priced at $84.95 for 1 or $159 for 2, with free shipping. That’s right on par (or less) than what regular blackout curtains cost, except they are not portable!
I’ve also got a discount code for you… use GREENSPRING10 for 10% off today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Blackout Curtains
Below you will find the most frequently asked questions when it comes to the issue of needing to temporarily blackout a room.
In a sense, they are all basically the same question. However, for clarity purposes, we’ll answer each one for whom it pertains to.
How Do I Blackout a Hotel Room for My Baby?
The Sleepout Curtain is the perfect way to blackout your hotel room for your baby because it blocks sunlight creating a completely dark sleeping environment.
As soon as you arrive, install the suction cups onto the window(s) and hang the blackout curtains on the, pulling tautly. You’ll be done in seconds!
How Do You Make Temporary Blackout Curtains?
Is it possible to use a DIY option and make temporary blackout curtains?
Sure, but they are frustrating to install and likely not dependable to stay up.
Could you imagine your frustration if they fall down overnight and everyone is woken up at 5:30 am?!
Invest in a quality product and you will never have this issue.
How Do You Blackout Windows When Traveling?
Do you have trouble sleeping if a room isn’t pitch black? Many people do not black out their guest rooms!
I’ve heard people ask… why don’t you just use a sleep mask to create a dark environment?
As an adult, I’ve tried a sleep mask and I absolutely hated having something on my face while I sleep.
For children, it’s definitely a sleep safety hazard so it’s just not possible.
That’s why companies like Sleepout are making temporary blackout shades, to solve this issue.
The Verdict on Using Temporary Blackout Shades
Unlike other baby/children’s products that can only be used for a certain period of time, Sleepout Curtains can be used for a lifetime.
The longevity of these temporary blackout blinds seriously increases its value and return on investment.
As I said above, as a parent there is nothing more priceless than better sleep!
I don’t recommend products that I don’t use and love myself, so please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.
Don’t believe me? They have over 100 5-star reviews so their customer reviews speak for themselves!
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