Blog · Sleep Guide

By the Shade Design Gallery design team · Updated October 24, 2026

The Best Blackout Shades for Better Sleep in Spokane

In a Spokane summer the sun can be up before 5 a.m. and still glowing after 9 p.m. If light is waking you, your kids or your shift worker, the right blackout shade makes a real difference. Here's how to choose one that actually works.

"Blackout" vs. "room-darkening"

Room-darkening fabric blocks most light, which is fine for a living room or guest room. Blackout fabric blocks light coming through the fabric itself, which is what you want for bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms. But even a blackout fabric can leave a glow around the edges, so how the shade is fitted matters just as much as the fabric.

Our top blackout choices

Blackout cellular shades

Cellular (honeycomb) shades with a blackout lining are our favorite for bedrooms. They darken the room and their air pockets insulate the window, so they also help with Spokane's hot summers and cold winters.

Blackout roller shades

Roller shades are clean, modern and simple. A blackout roller works well in media rooms and kids' rooms, and it pairs easily with a light-filtering shade for daytime.

Roman shades with a blackout liner

Roman shades give you soft fabric and a designer look, and a blackout liner turns them into a true sleep shade.

Drapery with blackout lining

Custom drapery with a blackout lining, layered over a shade, is the darkest option of all. The drapery covers the edges where light sneaks in.

How to stop light leaking around the edges

• Get an exact measurement. A shade made to the exact size of your window leaves the smallest possible gaps.
• Consider an outside mount. Mounting the shade over the window frame covers the gaps at the sides.
• Layer with drapery. Side panels block the edges and add warmth in winter.
• Choose a darker or lined fabric. Some colors glow more than others in direct sun.

The right choice for each room

• Main bedroom: blackout cellular, or a Roman shade with blackout liner, plus drapery for the darkest result.
• Nursery and kids' rooms: cordless blackout cellular or roller shades, which are safer for little ones.
• Media room: blackout roller shades, layered with drapery.
• Shift workers: blackout cellular layered with lined drapery, so daytime sleep feels like night.

Make it effortless with motorization

Motorized blackout shades can close on a schedule at bedtime and open slowly in the morning, and you can control them from bed with a remote, your phone or your voice. Wondering about the cost? Read our guide: How Much Do Motorized Shades Cost in Spokane?

See it in your own window

Blackout fabrics look and perform differently in your own light. With a free in-home consultation, Layla, our lead designer, brings real samples to your home in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Coeur d'Alene or nearby, so you can hold them up to the window, then we measure everything and give you an exact quote.