Sensitivity to sunlight

Post Reply New Topic

I can't stand sunlight, nor water filled with salt, especially when the sun i shining

I don't "hate" bright light, but I find I'm more comfortable in dim/dark places. I used to wear heavy sunglasses as a teen because I always felt I was "light sensitive." Didn't have a clue as to why. The eye doctor said my eyes were fine.

In the case of people in the autistic spectrum, eye disorders has nothing to do with it (typically). It is something called Sensory Integration Disorder. Look it up yourself on wikipedia because this website won't allow me to link to it.

Sufferers have one or more senses that perceive sensory input abnormally. Either too much or too little. I'm on the sensitive side. Sunlight doesn't actually hurt (after some adjustment) but it's just really uncomfortable.

Here is one analogy to bright light (i.e. the sun): Imagine a belt.

For hyposensitive people (Sensory Integration Disorder - who crave stimulation and feel little of it), the sun might even feel like a loose belt, and they want even more crazy blinking strong lights around them.

For many regular folks, it's like a belt that is on securely without any discomfort. The sun is too strong to look into, but it's fine a lot of the time (sunglasses not necessary for comfort for many).

For hypersensitive sensitive folks (Sensory Integration Disorder. I classify into this group) it is like tightening a belt way too tight, it's not exactly hurting but it's quite uncomfortable, and one wants to immediately remedy the situation, it is that bothersome.

And lastly, there's people who have such bad cases of sensory integration disorder that they experience outright severe pain in their eyes, like a belt on so hard it causes noticable physical pain.

I need the sunlight because I am prone to depression if I don't get enough. However, my eyes are sensitive to it, as is my skin. So it's kind of a problem for me. My aspie son is even more visually sensitive to sunlight than I am, and wears sunglasses all day long, even in the house.

Yeah! Sort of like you're being pressed down on, maybe?

Part of why I love when it rains is it's not so oppressive outside. I can actually enjoy it. Plus the air feels and smells great, and it gets cooler too.

That's a good analogy to what I feel like as well. The light doesn't exactly hurt, but it's somehow straining and uncomfortable. Like a pressure. And yes, heavily overcast weather (and with rain, even less noise, animals and people outside) removes a lot of that oppressiveness.

Yeah it causes my friends to ask why I'm much swifter in the dark

SID is a common comorbid with autism.

That's pretty normal.
I remember one time, when I was little, we went to the cinema to watch a movie.
The entire place was dark inside, and when we got out pretty much everyone had a reaction to the light once they got outside.

Sometimes it feels like my eyes are contracting painfully against light. And the glare of my computer screen is uncomfortable.

I have a really strong aversion to the sun. I even find dusk uncomfortable. I wear sunglasses a lot in summer. I look like an aspie vampire in 'em XD

My sensitivity to sunlight comes and goes.


It's bright here all the time, but sometimes it bothers me, sometimes it doesn't.


In years past, it has bothered me A LOT, yet other times, not so much.


This year, I haven't needed to use sunglasses yet while walking, though sometimes I have to squint. I still use them while driving the scooter, though, if it's near sunset, when the sun is low in the horizon. While driving, I can't afford any impairment to my vision.

I'm sensitive to sunlight, but not to the point where I need to wear sunglasses indoors.
As a child, it was easier to cope outdoors because I always clung to my mom while walking in the bright sunlight and as my mom guided me everywhere, there was no need for me to lift my head up. My mom always asked me, why do you keep your head down? I thought that everyone had as much problem in bright sunlight as I did.
I remember going to Ottawa for one very sunny day 3 years ago, and ending up whining about the Sun for the whole day because we forgot to bring a sun hat and the ones that were sold there were very expensive. I simply couldn't enjoy the day with the Sun. Like someone else said in this thread, it feels like there's extra weight on me when I go out on extremely sunny days.
I got sunglasses now that cover almost my whole field of view, which really helps; it's one annoyance of the outdoors down for me. I wear them even on cloudy days. My sensitivity wasn't very bad back in Russia, but after I've moved to Canada, I remember always struggling on sunny days.

I actually only have a problem with sunlight if it is slightly cloudy/really humid and the sun takes on a brilliant white color.

I definetly have a sensitivity to light. I often wear sunglasses that when I first got a pair I wanted to wear all of the time as it just felt a lot easier to stand the light and made me feel better, though i also discovered their are some social rules and I have had to wear them at specific times. I find that I feel much better when it is darker, such as when I am doing work in my book or taking notes, if the lights in the room are turned down I sudenly feel a big burst of energy and find it easier to pay attention. And I have also adopted a more nocturnal behavior, going to sleep later and waking up around mid day, and I notice that in the middle of the day since highschool I always have felt more tired during the brighter times of the day. But more then that at night when I have either been on a night hike or in the car I find the other bright lights so harsh that I actualy have had to wear my sunglasses to keep it under control, though I on't do it all the time due to others thoughts. I also feel that sunlight hurts my skin, kind of conflicts when I am feeling down from being cold, which I have a tendency when cold to find hot surfaces very blissful.

I have extreme sensitivity to sunlight, on an average irish summer day (not very bright, maybe a little sun and clouds) I can't even look up, I'm constantly shoegazing. I have to wear sunglasses when I go foreign.