Just in Time for Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time begins on March 8 this year. It’s a welcome event for many, but losing that hour of sleep isn’t so welcome.

The time change has been associated with:

• Slower Thinking
• Slower Reaction Times
• Moodiness
• Exhaustion

What’s a moody, exhausted, slow thinking, sleep-deprived person to do to get more sleep? One suggestion is to create an environment that’s conducive to sleep – dark, cool, quiet and comfortable. The window treatments you choose for your bedroom can help create the perfect sleep environment for you.

“There are wonderful window treatments that block light and prevent heat gain, making them excellent choices for the bedroom,” said Tracy Christman, Director of Vendor Alliance for Budget Blinds.

If drawing the blinds closed doesn’t block light from that pesky streetlamp from disturbing your sleep, there’s still hope. The key to a better night’s sleep may lie with your window treatments – specifically, the features you add to them.

Here are some of the options sleep-deprived homeowners can choose from:

• Add a blackout liner. Blackout liners are perfect for shift workers who sleep during the day and the friend to new parents who want to encourage good sleeping habits for infants and toddlers.
• Add decorative tapes to horizontal blinds to block light that enters through rout holes, or choose routless louvers for your blinds.
• Cornice boxes and valances block light that can enter through the small gap at the headrail of the window treatment.
• Room-darkening multiple-celled cellular shades block light and add insulation between cooled or heated indoor air and the glass.
• Sleep experts encourage troubled sleepers to wake at the same time every day. An additional feature that can help you wake at the same time every day is programmable motorization. Just set the programmable timer to open your window treatments at a specific time in the morning and the light that was blocked all night will help wake you.

Sources: National Sleep Foundation; WebMD.com

As homeowners across the country prepare to make improvements to their homes, many are thinking in two particular shades of green – environmentally friendly and fiscally sound.

The Department of Energy reports that heating and cooling accounts for nearly 56% of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense in most households. One of the simplest ways to reduce your heating and cooling needs and costs is by using your window treatments. In some cases, heat gain can be reduced by 45% (US Department of Energy, Consumer’ Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing window treatments:

• All window treatments can help reduce heat gain when they are used.
• Shutters and cellular shades are great insulators 
• Solar fabrics and window film are great choices to cut your A/C requirement.
• Window film has been reported to reduce air conditioning costs by as much as 30-40%.
• All window coverings have insulating properties. Some are better at the job than others.
• Thermal lining used in drapery panels and Roman shades increases heat retention and reduces heat loss, thereby cutting heating requirements.

• Budget Blinds proudly carries roller shades made from Sheerweave #2000 and #2390, which received GREENGUARD certification.  Not only do these products reduce UV exposure, they are also low emitting products.  GREENGUARD Environmental Institute established performance based standards to identify products with low chemical and particle emissions for use in indoor furnishings among other uses.

Your Budget Blinds Style Consultant can help you find the window coverings that perform beautifully and look great doing it.  Schedule your free in-home consultation today!

Did you know that Budget Blinds also carries a wide variety of products made from recycled or renewable resources?  Ask your Budget Blinds Style Consultant about window treatments made from woven woods, cotton, silk or composite wood and beautiful area rugs made from wool, sisal, mountain grass and seagrass.