We all like a cosy house during winter and a cool house in summer. But are your windows helping you or are they working against you.

Studies show that a huge amount of heat energy is lost through windows. Some estimates put is as high as 35%, which is literally throwing money out the window.

The good news is you can greatly improve the energy efficiency of your windows without having to replace them. What you need are good fitting blinds or curtains and if possible, ones with a high R-value.

Insulating materials are rated by R-values. The higher the R-value, the better the insulating value. Standard curtains are generally R-1. However, a properly installed insulating blind or curtain can achieve up to R-6, which significantly reduces heat loss.

The good news is that most blockout blinds have thermal resistance however the bad news is that there is still the gap around them which allows heat out in winter or the heat in during summer.

The key to achieving better thermal performance from your blinds is having them fit tightly to or around the windows so heat energy can’t escape during winter or enter during summer. In doing so there can be significant improvements in the energy used to keep your room warm in winter or cool in summer.

Midnight Anytime Blinds are an ideal solution which can be retrofitted to your existing blinds (or installed with new blinds), eliminating the gap between the blind and the window where much of the energy is lost.

Midnight Anytime Blinds are a great alternative to replacing your existing blinds when you want to cut out the light that creeps in around your blinds. It’s a cost-effective solution saving you time and money as well as extending the life of your existing blinds.

Where can Midnight Anytime Blinds be installed?

Midnight Anytime Blinds can be installed just about anywhere where you can install a roller blind.

What are my choices:
You have 3 systems to choose from.

Transforma

Midnight Anytime Blinds Transforma range uses the chain that comes with your existing blind however, the chain is safely tucked away within the new frame and away from children’s’ little hands. Your Midnight Anytime Blinds comes with a chain grabber to easily open or close your blinds.

Cloud9

The Cloud 9 range is a beautifully balanced systems that makes it easy to pull up or down the blind with the lightest touch. It is great for everyday use.

E-smart

You can motorise your existing blinds with our unique motorised system. No electricians are needed.

The motorised system runs off a long-lasting inbuilt battery which is easily recharged and depending on use, may last for up to 6 months before requiring a recharge. It’s ideal for difficult to reach windows or simply to have the convenience of opening or closing them with a touch of a button.

Your body has its own internal clock that helps you go to sleep and be awake during daylight hours. This natural rhythm is the circadian rhythm, and it is an important enabler of regular sleep.

A disruption to this rhythm can cause difficulties in getting sufficient sleep.

The trouble is that modern life does not shut down when it gets dark. We no longer live a life strictly connected to the cycle of night and day. Many of us have lives that require us to go to bed well after the sun has gone down. From shift workers, to students, to busy parents, to night owls - sleep patterns no longer conform to the cycle of night and day.

In a modern world we still need our sleep and experts will tell you, you need a good routine, avoid stimulants such as coffee, avoid alcohol and avoid computer screens. They will also recommend that you need a darkened space, and darker the better for sleep.

In fact, light can have a major impact on the quality of your sleep. Although you may be tied and asleep, your body is aware of any light present. That old circadian rhythm, working in the background gets its cues from any light exposure and then kicks in to do its job, which is to excite the mind and wake you up. We all know that feeling of wanting to sleep but just can’t. And that small bit of light coming in, seems to be blinding.

The loss of sleep due to light exposure, can overtime become a problem for achieving refreshing and plentiful sleep. Research shows lack of quality sleep has real consequences including, reduced reaction time, poor decision making, increased likelihood of diabetes and an increased risk of depression just to name a few side effects of poor sleep.

Research also shows us that one of the best things we can do for our health is get good regular sleep.

The Importance of a dark bedroom.

Work with your biology, not against it. We are designed to fall asleep when it is dark and to wake up when it is light.

When it’s dark our brain produces hormones called melatonin, which signal to our body that it’s ‘time to sleep’ which includes feeling lethargic, muscle relaxation, and a drop in body temperature. As it gets darker the levels of melatonin increase and continue to do so, peaking around 3:00 am. However, when your body perceives light your melatonin levels start to drop, waking you from sleep.

If the quality of your sleep gets affected by even a bit of light, then you run the risk of having sleeping issues. This is real and ongoing, particularly for shift workers but also for anyone who has broken sleep such as parents with young children, students or light sleepers.

If you sleep in a room where light makes its way in, you are fighting against your biology. Perhaps the most proactive and practical steps you can take is to blockout any light while you are asleep.

Having a pitch-black bedroom greatly reduces the potential for light interrupting your circadian rhythm, which helps you establish healthy sleep patterns and better health.