This post is sponsored by Conair.
I’ve touched on it before, but we’re serious about sleep at our house. We start getting our girls on sleep schedules at 6 weeks–it’s not always an easy process–but once they get it, they’re set for life. Ours really thrive on lots of sleep and so do Chris and I. I’ve recently mentioned that I started using the bedtime feature on my iPhone which is basically an alarm for going to bed to make sure I get a full 8 hours in. It’s changed my life.
I always get a lot of questions about Polly’s sleep schedule. At 9 months, she loves a full 14 hours of sleep at night, sleeping from 6pm to 7:30-8am and also taking two 2-hour naps during the day (10-noon and 2-4). Our older girls get ready at 7, with lights out at 7:30 and wake up between 7 and 7:30, if you’re curious. However, ever since the days started getting longer, and now that she is much more aware of her surrounding, the sun has started interfering a bit. Her room is west facing and the sun literally sets right into her room, shining its face on the wall all the way down. Sometimes, I’d peek in on her on the video monitor and see her playing with the sun on the wall instead of sleeping! On those nights, she’d be so cranky in the morning.
While we have a blackout roman shade, we decided to add blackout curtains, as well, to block the extra rays at night that sneak out the sides. Some kids can sleep in any conditions; Polly sleeps well in a dark, warm room with white noise. That’s her formula.
We went with these basic, but high quality, blackout white curtains from Pottery Barn Kids. The material is nice and thick and the blackout liner isn’t plastic or rubbery like a lot of the other ones are. We also ordered this umbra curtain rod (in brass) which is my FAVORITE rod and we’ve used it a bunch of times in different finishes, and corresponding curtain clips. Even though the curtains have back tabs, curtain clips feel safer in a nursery setting. If a child yanks on them, they’ll just come unclipped, instead of potentially pulling a whole rod down on themselves.
Chris installed the rod, with heavy duty anchors, just the same. Immediately I remembered why we opted out of curtains initially, drilling into the wallpaper was painful, but I kept the end game (a happy, fully-rested baby) in mind and got through it.
After the rod was up, we clipped up the curtains and I pulled out my favorite tool from the arsenal. Our Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam steamer. I’ve chatted this thing up in several posts before but I can’t get over how awesome and easy it is. You just add water, turn it on, I always turn on the turbo boost and in 40 seconds (!!) it’s hot and steamy and ready to remove all the wrinkles without battling an ironing board for an hour.
Actually getting the wrinkles out of both panels took under 12 minutes, and it only took that long because I was entertaining a 9 month old at the same time. I like to pull it tight on the back and wave the steamer over a section at a time and all the creases just come right out. (Just look at the difference with the top part I did and the bottom I still have to do!)
A few of my girlfriends have borrowed it multiple times, and raved so hard about it, too. Whether you use it for clothes at home, or traveling, or steaming curtains so that you can all get a little more sleep (yup, yup, yup!)–it’s a must have in my opinion, that, shhh, is actually pretty fun, too. Considering ditching our iron all together, tbh.
But definitely the best outcome of this whole project is Polly is back to hitting the hay right at 6pm. Sound asleep, with no distractions and waking up the happiest little baby. (Nothing better!)
See all the nursery sources right here!
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How well do these blackout a room? I have standard miniblinds in the windows and was hoping that I could find a white blackout curtain that would make the room really dark. Thanks!
Very well!
Okay so I finally bought one of these today. Been looking forward to it because of this post. I was actually so disappointed ????. Maybe mine is faulty? Or maybe I was doing it wrong? I used it on a dress and it took so so so long (about an hour). I was determined to make it work but it just didn’t. Any tips and tricks? I hung it on the shower rod because it was closest to the outlet.
Hi Julia! I just dug though the archives to find this post and the black-out curtains you used for Polly’s nursery. As a long time follower, it seems like just yesterday you were putting this room together for her ????.
We’re currently in the thick of it with an eight-month-old that I can’t convince to sleep…ever. Thinking it’s time to get serious with curtains (and anything else that will help!) Wondering if you’d still recommend these or if you’ve found better options while you’re decorating the new house?
Also, chuckling over some of these debates and smiling over how graceful you always are in responses. Is parenthood and parenting advice a trip or what?!
Thanks in advance! Your thoughtful choices are always an inspo and leave a lasting impression!
Hi!! I’m not finding a link working for the curtains you picked. I see other options but I’m curious what yours are and what the fabric type is. We are about to start sleep training and a dark room during the day is essential.
Hi, I was wondering if you had to hem these 96″ shorter to fit? I read on your blog somewhere your ceilings are 8ft height all throughout? Thank you.
I should, but didn’t. Haha. They are just pooling a little on the ground.