Blackout Shades for the Summer

Here comes summer — time to start thinking about sun block window shades for a number of reasons. Sure, when it comes to blackout shades New York homes benefit from the obvious advantages, such as light and heat blocking. According to Green Living Tips¹, however, room darkening shades are good for more than simply darkening a room. They save energy and reduce your utility costs along with carbon emissions. On top of that, room darkening shades can help you sleep better and garner some unexpected health benefits by keeping your bedroom cooler and darker.

Whether you’re seriously into going “green” or your energy saving inclinations are strictly budget-related, blackout shades for New York homes and apartments have you covered. Since over 30 percent of summer home cooling energy goes out uncovered windows, sun block window shades can cut that loss by about 25 percent. Like blackout curtains, blackout shades New York residents need are made from heavy, tightly woven fabric. Some blackout fabric even has multiple layers to enhance insulating effects. That means maximum light and heat blocked out, interior temperatures remain optimal and less greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere. Plus, keeping your room darkening shades drawn when the sun is hitting the window will also protect your furniture and carpeting from harmful UV rays.

As for those health benefits, installing sun block window shades will keep all types of light out of a bedroom, allowing you to get a deep, restorative sleep. According to research cited by Dr. Mercola², even when you aren’t conscious of artificial light seeping into your room, your body is. Once the retinas in your eyes recognize that the room you’re sleeping in isn’t entirely dark, your body slows down melatonin production. That can be a problem because melatonin keeps your immune system healthy, protecting you against disease including cancer. The research even showed that obstructing light during sleep by using room darkening shades, for example, actually reduced cancerous tumor growth.

A nice bonus to keeping your home cooler in the summer, cutting energy costs and improving your health, blackout shades are available in a range of colors and prints. You’ll not only sleep better, live healthier and be more comfortable, but you’ll do it all in style.

References:

¹http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/saving-energy-with-blackout-curtains.html

² http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/19/melatonin-benefits.aspx

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