You've tried to fix this window. Here's why none of it worked:
Curtains don't fully block the light.
They sit outside the recess, so light still leaks around the sides, top, and bottom — including that bright strip across the ceiling that wakes you.
By four in the afternoon, the room is unusable.
Sun heats the glass and the room holds that heat for hours. In winter, the same window lets the cold in and heat escape. Windows account for around 25–30% of home heating and cooling energy use.
Every proper fix needs drilling.
Blinds, brackets, and rails mean holes in the wall. Adhesive mounts can peel off in heat and damage paint — not ideal in a rental.
And custom blinds cost too much.
Cellular shades can cost $150–$500 per window, plus $119–$250 for installation. That's a lot for a home you don't own.
It isn't that your window is difficult.
It's that every solution assumes you're allowed to drill into it.