I’ve noticed recently (in the UK), either in photos on listings or on actual sits, that there seems to be a trend away from bedroom curtains that block daylight and towards having either blinds that look rather chic but don’t quite fit the window or really sheer curtains.
As I get woken up by the merest hint of dawn creeping into my bedroom I always travel with eye shades so any surprises wouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Has anyone else noticed this?
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There isn’t much light in most of the UK to begin with but I’ve seen a mix of coverings. I usually travel with an eye mask just in case and that resolves the issue if I need a room darker and the curtains aren’t opaque enough.
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Just a thought, but are you used to exterior shutters? We don’t need them in the UK, it’s cloudy.
I live in the UK, I’d say there’s a mix of blinds and curtains, but we’ve never had sheer curtains in a bedroom while we’ve been pet sitting. It doesn’t bother me anyway, because I love waking up with the sun, and my other half can sleep through anything until 7.30am.
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I’m in the Uk, have lived here all but one year of my life, without external shutters.
Where I’ve noticed the sheer curtains in photos, I have simply decided not to apply for a few sits. I just know I’d be woken up far too early (like 4am or earlier), and although a sleep mask is a good solution if I’m caught out i prefer not to use it if I can help it.
I just wondered if others had noticed this trend.
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Lol - not much light… we have plenty in the UK (even longer days in Sottish summers) - I even have enough sunshine to grow grapes that I make into wine.
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@DianeS I totally agree with you about the Scottish summers which lead to very early wake ups! Like you, I prefer thick or blackout curtains. Probably some of us are just more prone to being woken up by light than others.
I do remember a thread on here years ago where sitters shared their travel hacks. One sitter shared that they taped black bin bags to the window glass as a makeshift, lightweight and compact blackout blind. I haven’t had to resort to this yet, but maybe if I did a longer sit in Scotland in summer… or even further north!
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I was much further south and overall annually, find the weather to be largely depressing, wet and grey…not for me.
@Debbie the bin bag solution is duch a good idea! I will keep that in mind.
@bakindoki what a shame you had such a gloomy experience. In the south (where I live) we have a good sunshine record - in fact right now we have glorious sunshine (although it follows a few very wet days!) and this summer we’ve had record levels. We seem to go from extreme wet/gloom to extreme sunshine! I hope you give us a second chance and get better weather.
I think the main purpose of my post was to alert other sitters who might have the same sensitivity to early light, and this can be identified in photos on some listings.
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I rarely find the guest room curtains keep out all of the light. I don’t apply for any that are in attic or dormer rooms where there appear to be no curtains/blinds at all.
Our own bedroom is like a cave.
As others do, I wear an eyemask. Mr Itchyfeet sleeps through anything.
I notice the trend for no curtains at all in programmes such as Grand Designs.
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Whilst not living in the South, i can vouch for and agree that it gets more sun than the North of England and, as an added bonus, significantly warmer temperatures too
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As a homeowner I always leave a roll of Magic Blackout for sitters. The sheets cling to the window & can be reused. Available from Amazon, very light for those travelling, not expensive.
I worked with families with children with additional needs who all raved about it’s effectiveness.
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You are a very thoughtful HO - thank you for this suggestion.
My husband is a terrible sleeper and needs darkness - we often create blinds from cardboard begged or ‘borrowed’ from local supermarkets.
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@CRU that may be so, but the further north you go, the more hours of daylight you get in summer. So in Scotland it gets light earlier and stays light later than in southern England - regardless of whether it is sunny or cloudy.
If you go further north still, there are places where it never gets dark in summer (and where there is barely any daylight in winter).
As the OP notes, it is “the merest hint of dawn” that wakes her up, so it doesn’t need to be a sunny day!
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I’m well aware of Northern areas getting more daylight than areas closer to the equator and it works the other way around in Winter time, it’s just basic Geography.
I love the long Summer days and happy to be woken by the birds at 03:00 in the Summer but not so keen on the dark Winter days but a lot of people prefer the dark and don’t like the light.
People have their choices.
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Do people really have choices though? Like many others I have been diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and yet i get woken up by the dawn however early that is (possibly the flip.side to SAD)
As I mentioned earlier, my original post was really to help other sitters who might be similarly affected to be aware of this new(ish) trend and wither go prepared or not apply for these sits.
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@CRU don’t get me wrong, I definitely prefer the longer days with more daylight to the shorter darker winter ones. However I wouldn’t function in summer if I only slept when it was naturally dark! That’s why we have blackout blinds at home. #needmysleep
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@DianeS We did one sit in Scotland where the master bedroom had a gorgeous, huge wall of glass overlooking woodland. With no blinds or curtains. And a couple of cockerels who would also wake with the dawn and make the puppy start barking! It was a wonderful sit apart from the early wake up calls, and fortunately only a week
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Oh wow - what a view! I think i might have slept in the bath!
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Insomnia gives me the benefit of short Summer nights 
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