How bright is your nursery when the lights are off? In the city, it can be hard to fall asleep - even when it is dark outside, city street lights mean it is never really dark, which is why we are such big fans of blackout curtains.

De rigueur in good hotels, blackout curtains block light and sound, and even a high-powered flashlight held directly against the fabric of these didn't shine through to the other side. If you have a light-sensitive baby, these might help.

But blackout curtains do more than block the light.

These also block drafts, a great feature in apartments with older windows, and they block noise. While they come in a variety of colours, the cream and the tan look like easy to use neutrals, and they start at $69.95. Blackout curtains probably aren't the most stylish thing we plan to install in our nursery, but we think anything that helps a baby sleep helps us sleep, and that sounds pretty stylish to us.