1. Start blocking light on the way home
Your wind-down starts before you reach the front door. The bright morning sun on your commute can feel like a giant wake-up call right when you want to start relaxing.
Many night shift workers keep a pair of dark sunglasses just for the trip home. Choose a pair that cuts the glare but still lets you see clearly and drive safely. Once you're home, keep the lights low while you eat and get ready for bed.
2. Do your light check at noon, not at night
A room that looks dark at midnight can look completely different at 1 p.m. The midday sun is far stronger than any streetlight, and it will find every gap.
On a sunny day off, close your curtains, turn off the lights, and sit in the room for two minutes while your eyes adjust. Look for light around the curtain edges, over the rod, under the door, and through any small or high windows. Write down what you find. That's your to-do list.
3. Seal every curtain gap
In the daytime, even a thin gap becomes a bright stripe across your pillow. Close them off:
- Clip the middle. Binder clips or clothes pegs hold the two panels tightly together.
- Pin the sides. Adhesive hooks or small magnets keep the edges flat against the wall.
- Cover the top. A curtain valance, a folded towel, or a strip of fabric over the rod stops light spilling from above.
- Add a second layer. A cheap tension rod with a blackout panel behind your existing curtains doubles the coverage.
4. Black out the glass itself
For the brightest windows, block light before it even reaches the curtains. Removable blackout window film clings to the glass with water or static, blocks light completely, and peels off without a mark, so it's perfect for renters.
Some night shift workers also use custom-cut blackout blinds or even a piece of foam board pressed into the window frame on workdays. It doesn't need to look pretty. Nobody is checking your window at 2 p.m.