As the UK swelters through its fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures hitting up to 38°C, one simple hack could help you sleep cool at night. Millie Bull, Deputy Editor of Spare Time, has shared her experience of using stick-on blackout blinds to keep her bedroom cooler.
Heatwave warnings across the UK
Britain is enduring its fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures forecast to climb as high as 38°C. Amber "extreme heat" warnings are in place across 12 counties, including London, the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands, and South Yorkshire. These warnings run from 9am on Tuesday (August 11) to midnight on Thursday (August 13).
The Met Office expects temperatures to reach 33°C on Wednesday, rising to 37°C or 38°C on Thursday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued amber heat health alerts across every region of the UK, valid from 9am on Tuesday (August 11) to 9pm on Friday (August 14).
The blackout blind solution
Living in the South-East, Bull found the heat relentless this summer. Even with a fan aimed directly at her, she would often wake up drenched in sweat. She plans to get air conditioning next year, but needed a cheaper fix this summer. She decided to try stick-on blackout blinds with a UV-resistant coating and reflective backing to deflect sunlight from her windows.
Some people use tinfoil on their windows for the same effect, but Bull found it messy and worried it might damage her double-glazed windows. Blackout blinds are mainly designed to block light, but they can also help keep a room cooler. According to Broadview Shading Solutions: "Blackout blinds can reduce solar gain - the process by which sunlight heats up a room - by blocking direct sunlight from entering through the window." They work best when kept closed during the hottest parts of the day.
Practical and affordable
Traditional blackout blinds work just as well, but can be costly, especially for larger or awkward-shaped windows. Bull's stick-on blinds, priced at just £13.80 on Amazon, come in a range of sizes and can be trimmed to fit any window. They attach using sticky-backed velcro on both the frame and the blind, with the reflective side facing outwards.
In the evening, once it cools down, Bull takes the blinds off and opens the windows to let fresh air in. Before bed, she closes the windows to cut out noise and puts the blinds back up so the early morning sun doesn't wake her. The only downside is a darker bedroom during the day, but she says it's a small price to pay for a cooler night's sleep.
