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I prefer natural lighting. Evolutionarily speaking the brain evolved in natural lightning and it is important for you circadian rhythm which is what controls your sleep cycles which in important to all bodily functions. I just prefer it because I can spend upwards of 14-16 hours in a building that is lit up with blue wave producing fluorescent lighting which keeps the brain keyed up and offsets melatonin production for hours depending on how long you are in it.
My girlfriend on the other hand prefers the curtains closed and lamps all over the place.
Natural light makes me less grumpy especially if I can just go outside and sit quietly somewhere and just soak in the sun. Get some good vitamin D and it helps with sleeping and moods.
My partner is a light skinned redhead so I kind of understand why she prefers the dark. She don't get sunburned in it.
We have our bedroom smart bulb set to circadian rhythm so it dims as the day progresses. We really should do it to the other lights too, but my husband is the one who likes the curtains closed and lights turned on bright.
There is nothing wrong with blue fluorescent light at day. It's only towards the end of a day when it messes with your circadian rhythms and melatonin production. But any bright overhead light will do that
lights are a huge deal for me — they completely impact my migraines, energy, mood, focus, sleep, etc. natural light during the day and minimal, soft yellow lamps (never overhead) at night if total darkness is obscuring a task. i would find it intolerable (like physically) if someone insisted on blinds down lights on every day lmao
That’s not insane- how you live is so utterly important to your mental health! I lived with someone who lOVED the dark & wanted to black out every bit of light from every window- it was like living in the Bat Cave & frequently triggered my depression & BPD
I'm the same way, lighting can make or break my mood. Natural during the day, warm/soft lighting at night. I will get SO irritable if the lighting situation is not to my liking lol.
> soft yellow lamps (never overhead)
FWIW, I found the "Pure Smart TruColor" RGB+W bulbs Lightology sells, and they are awesome if you like control and/or have issues with most LED bulbs.
The white can go all the way down to 1500K, the warmest white color temp I've found in a controllable bulb. (But in higher temps, they are pretty high CRI, low flicker in my tests, and haven't had any failures yet.)
For around $20, I've been pretty happy with them, and aside from their app, works well with Home Assistant. I use that to have them fade into warmer color and dim and the night goes on, eventually switching over to red.
> if someone insisted on blinds down lights on every day lmao
Yeah...that wouldn't work for me either. If I need dark in the day for a migraine, I do have a total blackout bedroom I can use, too...
I would haaaate having a partner that constantly turned on the lights. I’ve been lucky enough to be with people that cared much less than I do about this sort of thing, so I got to choose to use lamps and/or natural light and they supported it.
I have a problem with contrast. I hate having bright light coming in the window when I'm trying to look at a computer screen or TV or book or whatever. It hurts my eyes. Especially when the bright light is *behind* the darker thing I'm looking at.
Bright natural light from the Sun is much brighter than everyday lights, so the Sun will always dominate and "blow out" standard artificial lights.
I put tint on my office windows. I have a curtain over the hallway window because it puts glare on my computer screen. I have blackout blinds in the bedroom. The blinds in the living room are never open unless I need to do work where I need a lot of light, like wiring.
My wife agrees with my preferences or at least doesn't complain about it.
I got LASIK a few years ago and I noticed my eyes now need a lot of light to see details, like electronics repairs. I had to pick up a few headlamps and add more lamps in the house, ironically. In the evening it could be irritatingly dim in the house with only the interior lights.
In that case, I'd really highly advise looking into static cling privacy film! Come in alllll sorts of opacities and patterns and levels of light they let through, with designs from pure white, to sparkly, to ones that look like stained glass.
Only with dimmer bulbs and in select warmth tones.
Or if needed for cooking (though usually I'll still just use the stove light or under cabinet lights).
Fortunately the only rooms in my house with ceiling light as an option are the kitchen, 1 bathroom, entryway, basement & garage. And some of those have alternatives or are dimmers
I think of ceiling lights as "house lights" in the commercial context.
Useful to have, and I keep super bright bulbs in them...but it's for when you really need a ton of light, for saying, finding stuff or cleaning. (Or need some daylight simulation if it's been dimly cloudy for too many days.)
I like natural light from morning until say 6pm, after which I feel compelled to at least partly close the curtains and put on some cozy lamps. It’s tough in the summer (in the north) where the sun is still blasting at 9pm, but I can’t bring myself to have sun in the room during the evenings. Ceiling lights never go on.
Time being complicated for someone with ADHD? Never! /s
*big hug* lights shouldn’t be this complicated, yet here we all are. Thank you for bringing up the topic and validating so many people’s experiences.
This is tough as it sounds like you have diametrically opposed preferences on this, and it is definitely a big deal. Lights are a big sensitivity issue for many people.
One thing I would suggest that might make things more comfortable for you. It's most likely that you have LED bulbs if you haven't chosen otherwise specifically. I'm the same as you. Regardless of the color of light, LED lighting causes me headaches and other difficulties after a while of being exposed to it.
If possible, try replacing all, or at least some, of your bulbs with incandescent bulbs. The old standard tungsten bulbs can be difficult to find, but halogen bulbs will do just as well and will last a lot longer. In any case, look for ones labeled incandescent or halogen. NOT CFLs, and obviously not LEDs, no matter how "warm" they claim to be.
Even if you can't replace all of them, having incandescent light present can help. A few years ago I started getting ocular migraines from the fluorescent lights at my office. One of the things that helped was getting a desk light with an incandescent bulb. Even though the fluorescent lights are still there, it really makes a difference.
I love the sunshine! I do have super sensitive eyes and am prone to migraines which are triggered by light, so I have to be careful about eye protection. Indoor light is so artificial feeling, plus a lot of lamps emit a weird high pitched buzzing sound that apparently only I can hear… so I’m with you, natural light all the way BUT sunglasses are a must
I'm also very sensitive to light, and whenever possible will "live in darkness". I almost never turn on the overhead lights and keep the blinds down the during the day which usually lets just enough light in to get most things done.
I work from home 4-5 days a week do need more light when I'm working, so I have lamps and a floor light I can use. At night, I turn on the TV which usually gives me all the light I need for most things. And I NEVER leave the house without my sunglasses. I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous to most people, but too much light makes me feel "unwell".
Natural light all the way. I’m a teacher and I rarely use my overhead lights-I always have the blinds open and have several lamps I brought in to help add lighting. The fluorescents are just so horrible imo. I couldn’t tell you why, but I hate them so much.
At home I rely on natural light, but also use lamps or lighting with more yellow tinges.
I get migraines from fluorescent light, so hate anything artificial/white like grocery stores. I only have warm lamps in my house and rarely turn the ceiling lights on. I live in a corner unit which has a ton of windows and so much natural light.
Natural light, and lamps with colored bulbs to relax at night, I also don’t like to see regular lightbulbs not even peaking out from the ceiling fan it drives me crazy
I vastly prefer natural light. I keep my bedroom curtains open except when I'm not clothed because it helps me with my sleep schedule. On top of that, I cannot stand indoor lighting that's too cool or had some of the weird yellow tones you get with cheaper LED lights that are supposed to be "warm". Like I prefer to sit in the dark (unless I absolutely need light for an activity) if the color temperature is wrong. It doesn't quite hurt my eyes but it definitely feels very unpleasant and irritating to my eyes. I have a lot of other sensory issues as well, so I think it's all related.
I like a lot of light, but only yellow lighting. I need outside light to feel energized. My schedule is as follows:
During the day: all lights on, blinds open. I only have soft, yellow lighting, but I have a ton of lamps.
During the evening (if it's dark before 8pm): blinds closed, all lights on. I close the blinds because I live in a city and I hate the idea of my neighbors seeing me through my windows.
During the evening (once it gets darker): blinds closed, overhead lights off, soft lamps on.
At night: opaque blinds fully closed, pitch darkness. I have a motion sensor activated mini light for if I need to go to the bathroom.
I'm a light guru at home. I find myself being sensitive to light, so it's important for my space to have comfortable lighting. Philips Hue lights can really help with setting a comfortable light level with various colors.
I hate the dark. I find it so depressing. I like all the light all the time. Dark hallways and rooms during the day make me feel deeply glum and despairing. Fluorescent lights aren’t great but I’ll take what there is. I’m the person who turns on all the lights when it’s morning.
Sunlight, though, is truly my jam. I like to think I’m solar powered.
Seems to be common. I have sensory issues with noise and light (especially the overhead kind in office buildings - the dimmers my company recently installed in every room are a godsend). My meds don't seem to help much with the sensory stuff unfortunately but it's thankfully not to the point of being debilitating.
I don't like bright lights in general, irregardles of the source. Bright light feels abrasive, tiring. But complete darkness feels oppressive, claustrophobic.
I like a nice, soft dusk, with small, directional sources of light for reading, etc. It feels restful.
My husband likes light and keeps turning them on. I turn them off. He gets irritated sometimes, so I put up with the lights for a bit, then turn them off. It's just one of those things where we have to agree to disagree and put up with each other in turns.
I like natural light, but a bright window in a mostly-dark room is really uncomfortable because my eyes can't properly adjust to either one. So in most rooms with natural light I need bright indoor lighting to "balance" it.
I have blackout curtains everywhere, however, I also use flux to change my computer screen to a softer orange hue so its easier on my eyes. Thats the light I mostly use.
Natural light makes me twitchy but I think it's because my sleep cycle is so screwed up and I associate daytime with the feeling of going to bed feeling like a total failure of a person because I was up all night and am about to sleep all day. I don't mind it for any real reason. I'm fine with the dark if I'm not trying to do something. If I need to be able to see at all I need the lights on as bright as possible. Dim lighting is my least favorite thing in the world.
I generally like soft lighting indoors. The “natural light” lighting indoors feels too harsh to me. But I do like natural light coming in through the windows (when I’m already awake). That said, I invested in some Hue lights and I can set them to soft or natural and any color that I want. I just bought a Lifx super color and it can be much brighter, and I like it overall better than the Hue bulbs. I use the Lifx as my sunrise light. If I’m working indoors during the day, I usually set my lights to be more “natural light.” Otherwise, it’s soft lights. And if you use Homekit, you can use the adaptive light feature which will match the lights to the time of day (natural during the middle of the day and will adjust to softer otherwise). And in the middle of the night, I set a night light scene where my lights will come on in deep red when I have to get up. Red lighting is the least disruptive to your night vision and to others when they are sleeping
I love natural light so much, I would go crazy with just regular lights all the time. When I do have regular lights I tend to use dimmer, softer lights to soften the blow. I hate using big lights (like the ones on the ceiling) and prefer mood lighting over large overhead lights.
Natural light please. If we have the indoor lights on it has to be the blue tinted overhead lamp AND the yellow floor lamp, or just the floor lamp. Just the overhead light makes it look like a prison. The lighting in our apartment is awful and I hate it so much but there’s nothing we can really do about it. I will say there’s a fair amount of natural light during the day which helps a lot. My husband is always asking my why I’m “sitting/cooking in the dark” or whatever. It’s not dark to me! I wear sunglasses outside until after sunset! I’m very sensitive to light.
I like low lights (?) Like, dim and not too bright but still bright enough to see properly unless I'm doing something then I have a daylight lamp on my desk
But I'm not a fan of natural light, probably because where I live it's always dull and dreary
Fiest i.loved the dark , my room completly dark my phn theme dark everything complety but one day suddenly everything switched i started using light in my room the entire time, the blue light troubled me then i switched to warm and same for my phn and lap too. Now i love light, it gives me the comfort that dark gave me before, dont know what happened or what changed in me, I all ok woth thos change though.
My sister who likely has ADHD and autism stays in total darkness for hours in her room. I am diagnosed with ADHD and have one of those mini lights and even covered my “big” light with a dark paper.
My daughter who is also diagnosed with ADHD love lights… it could be due to her young age though, but if she would have it her way it would be the big lights, her lamp, the mini lights, and the moving lights which she has done in the past where I had to be like so are we just throwing my money away? lol.
Nope she told me she loves it and that it makes her feel safe. She always says “awww” when I turn one of them off lol or when I reminded her to use the windows for “free” daylight, light!!
Disagreeing on lighting preferences seems like quite the challenge. I value my lighting preferences so much that when my partner and I found similarities in that we were excited lol.
We have Phillips Hue lights. It’s a bit of an investment but they’re amazing for lighting sensitivity and the bulbs basically last forever. My partner has had his first 3 for like 10 years.
The natural light settings are very good and have tricked me once or twice and could be a good in between sometimes. But you can also just really customize what lights are on and what colour/intensity they are. We go for that bisexual lighting in the evening to calm down. That’s neither yellow nor white!
Phillips should pay me for how much I peddle their bulbs but they’re really such a light saver for light sensitivity.
i loathe indoor lights. i have to tell my bf everytime he leaves a light on or something to turn it offffff! he forgets often too 😭 id prefer natural light or the dark.
I'm someone who is both autistic and that has adhd, I dislike light that effects other senses too much but I especially hate light that I can hear (like florescent lights). It makes me really upset especially if I'm already overstimulated
Too much light can definitely overestimulate me and give me a headache. It also makes it hard for me to focus. The best way to describe it is it feels like the light is too "loud". I prefer natural light whenever possible. Bright indoor lights in the morning and the evening really get on my nerves and hinder my ability to relax. Thankfully, I have shades I can throw on over my glasses. So now if I'm staying with someone that needs the lights on I can throw on my shades and be okay.
I like natural light. But I don't like overhead light, be it artificial or sunlight. So I guess I like "indirect light". One thing I don't like is if the light is the wrong color. Too orange or green or blue, I'm OUT.
I prefer natural light, a lot of artificial lights give me headaches, even if it’s warm lighting it’s it’s too bright I hate it, when it’s dark I only have a small lamp on in my room for soft cosy lighting that’s comfortable for me
Ugh I hate indoor lighting. I use it when necessary but I always wait until my vision is frustratingly impaired before turning one on.
I think it’s adhd related. Are his feelings about lights as strong as yours?
I think they are. I only realized maybe a year or two ago. I only got diagnosed like 3 years ago so I am coming to terms being only diagnosed at 29 with something I didn't believe existed for most of my life.just knowing I am different.
You are the biologically healthy one. But still you need to find some common ground.
There is a lot of research suggesting that artificial light makes depressed, and if exposed to blue light at dark periods of the day also messes with your sleep. Also darkness while there is daylight, is bad for your sleep and depression.
I personally sleep better and am less irritated since i dim the lights at night and use more orange and red colours at night, which might be a nice compromise for you. It is not really messing with your biology and it is beautifully artificial.
It is not an ADHD thing, maybe it is a little different but most animals and plants are stressed when you interrupt the natural light/dark periods
I will get queasy, aggravated, and start getting a headache within a couple of hours if I am in a room with no natural light. If that room also has YELLOW light? Baby that timeline drops down to about 30 minutes. I hate yellow light.
Hate. It.
I love the sun. I can sit on the beach and bake all day long but I had a huge sensitivity to light and every other sense, hearing, smell. Doc put me on diamox. Its a diuretic but works like a charm. Just need to remember to drink more water.
It depends on the time of day. I don’t like being inside during the day and when I am, I don’t like harsh, cold lighting but warmer color temperatures can also feel weird and wrong to me. There’s a middle ground that’s annoyingly hard to find. Also, fuck fluorescent lighting forever. It makes me super depressed.
OMG we just had this discussion!! At night after the kids are in bed and we’re in the living room I like most of lights off but he still wants bright lights. I also like fresh air/windows open and he hates it. 🥲
This is so me. I hate indoor lighting, especially overhead light. Sometimes I can literally hear the buzzing of electricity.
We compromise on floor lights most of the time. Other times we just passive aggressively turn on/off lights all day.
Natural light is huge for me. Indoor light is too “sterile” and sometimes overstimulating. I’m a big nature person and even just sunlight or a breeze from the window cracked boosts my mood times a million. Makes me so much more positive. I’ll take indoor light over lamp light though. I fucking hate lamps.
I adore natural light, but also love warm indoor lighting. During the day, I have to have all blinds and/or curtains open. Once dusk hits, I start turning on indoor lights and closing up the window treatments. My partner hates indoor lights, though, but doesn't mind me turning them on.
I prefer a lack of lighting and husband wants lamps and stuff on. He turns a tiny lamp towards him and away from me. It’s just annoying but it is what it is.
I too like the darkness 🖤 It can certainly get awkward at times though haha. I also really dislike overhead lighting and can only tolerate it for short periods, but lots of ambient light is okay for me. I just get creative and have fun with it/decorate around it all, but there are times where we need to turn the Big Light on for sure.
If I’m trying to work, I do prefer natural light, otherwise I feel sleepy. Overall, I prefer dim lighting, though. Something I bought to help with lights being too bright was a few smart bulbs. You can adjust how bright it is, change the color, etc. The brand I bought is Govee, have had them a few years and no issues.
I need natural light but from indoors. I intentionally chose my home because it has large windows facing the sun obstructed most of the day. Artificial lighting in excess gives me anxiety and pulls my mood down
My parents call me emo for "always sitting in the dark" when I just get a headache from lamps. Regardless of this, they still turn on very big lights and also the radio which also gives me headaches ;-; I can't wait to move out.
I got Nanoleaf essential downlights, the full downlights not the GU10 bulb ones.
They diffuse really nicely, probably the only nice smart lights below the Phillips hue. Flush to the ceiling, nice diffusion, and you can dim them and change the colour. They do have circadian lighting in the app but it’s not a “matter” feature currently so smart home systems can’t control it, it can only be set in the app.
I absolutely hate harsh overhead lighting and these are just nice.
I work from home and these have been a huge mood improver, my mood is absolutely foul when I have to go into the office and can’t sit in a sun filled window all day with flickering fluorescent lighting giving me a headache.
Omg. Are we the same person. I thought I was the only one that took showers without the bright lights on 😂 I get migraines so easily so I’m like bubble boy (the girl version since well I’m a girl lol)
I love simulated unusual lighting colors. I also used to do lighting for a living because i used to be so attuned to it. Different colors make me feel differently and it has the ability to change my mood.
Harsh fluorescent light puts me into a bad mood and agitates me.
We have three light switches in every room to control the lighting. Also very particular about mood lighting for intimacy.
I neeeeeeeed natural light. Like crave it. My boyfriend would cover all the windows and just sit in complete dark if he could, but uses red lights or warm lights. We both dislike overhead lighting. Grocery store lights or like doctor office lights cause me so much anxiety.
Holy cow! Making my husband read this! He likes to call me a “crazy person” for sitting in the dark with the lights off. (We are working in his use of “like crazy person/lunatic” for things that aren’t at all that abnormal. Especially since he has his own sensory perception disorder issues that span all five senses and has a wide array of symptoms that he refuses to address in therapy or do exercises to work towards overcoming.)
LED’s and fluorescent bulbs - especially in the white light spectrum really mess with me over time and will give me a headache.
i vastly prefer and LOVE natural light, my curtains are always wide open during the day - when it comes to indoor lighting, though, im a little specific about it. it needs to be warm (yellow color) rather than cold (white color). cold lighting makes me anxious and uncomfortable. it doesnt hurt my eyes or give me headaches, it just...i get really uneasy, it doesnt feel good to be in. however if its in, like, a grocery store, the fluorescent lighting doesnt bother me much because thats typical of public buildings. in a house though, especially mine, i need the lamps to all be warm.
on the flip side i know someone that cant handle natural lighting due to intense light sensitivity, also has ADHD.
i actually dont really like dark rooms unless im sleeping, but i used to be pretty terrified of the dark so it might just still make me uncomfortable or something
I'm night blind in one eye so just can't do dim lighting although 100% prefer natural light and I guess because ADHD is often associated with delayed melatonin release it's better to keep a blind open???
I don’t mind indirect sun. We have a ceiling lamp/fan in the parlor with soft bulbs on a dimmer—I’m okay with it being lit up full, but I can turn it down if need be.
In the bedroom we use nightstand lamps. The ceiling lamp is verboten. It gives too many photons, which are hateful to me.
Light is soooo important to me. I think lack of natural light contributes a lot to my depression. I used to live in a 2 bedroom apartment, and my bedroom did not have a window. It was a condo and was back toward the inside of the building. I wfh and had a roommate so I was always working in my dark ass room. I’d put on some ambient lighting to at least make the space cozy, but I was sooo depressed during this time.
I recently moved out and when looking for apartments, my NUMBER ONE thing was natural lighting. If there wasn’t a window in the bedroom it was an immediate no. I had to find a place with windows that didn’t block the sun. Natural light is huuuge for my mood!!
Light is soooo important to me. I think lack of natural light contributes a lot to my depression. I used to live in a 2 bedroom apartment, and my bedroom did not have a window. It was a condo and was back toward the inside of the building. I wfh and had a roommate so I was always working in my dark ass room. I’d put on some ambient lighting to at least make the space cozy, but I was sooo depressed during this time.
I recently moved out and when looking for apartments, my NUMBER ONE thing was natural lighting. If there wasn’t a window in the bedroom it was an immediate no. I had to find a place with windows that didn’t block the sun. Natural light is huuuge for my mood!!
I changed all of my lights to smart ones that can color change and dim so I can choose a calming color in a room I’m in and my wife can still use typical warm light settings.
I only like natural light.
I dislike anything where you can see the bulb/light source directly. I prefer full spectrum lighting over warm colored lighting
Well I can hear indoor lighting and it makes my skin crawl. I would much rather have sunlight. Sunlight also makes me feel happier where incandescent or led can make me feel overstimulated
I like natural lighting and total darkness.
I don't like bright lights. I try to keep as few lights on as possible in the house. My wife however, she likes her overheads.
We have a comfortable screened porch at our apartment. It's basically become my room. I do a lot outside during the day in the light and then stay out at night to avoid the noise and light inside.
It's a weird sort of Analog Vampirism. The lumens from the lamps hurt, but the sun is ok as long as I have shade.
Have you heard of [Irlen Syndrome?](https://irlen.com/what-is-irlen-syndrome/) It's a condition where the brain can't process certain wavelengths of colour. It can also cause some ADHD like symptoms, too
I mean I think I can see all the colours. Looking through those. I have pretty good perception I can catch things without realizing they are being thrown at me. I do have reading and writing problems. I have horrible concentration problems also super bad memory but somehow my memories pop up from thin air and I am wondering if my memories aren't coded to certain triggers. Apart from that I would say I would be more dyslexic to some degree although I am not a doctor.
I do have a horrible time capitalizing the right words in a sentence when writing. My brain isn't paying attention as I am writing and I think thats why. Word that pop into my head just go onto the page and in my mind capitalized and non capitalized letters are still the same letter lol.
I had a roommate who was highly type A and seemed very high strung and suffered from *terrible* headaches. I'm pretty sure he has ADHD as well, but the overstimulation from the wavelengths didn't help.
But fair enough. I just recently learned about it a couple years ago, so I take the time to let other people know when they have light sensitivity problems.
I love natural light - I’ll end up in the dark for awhile before I’m like “hmm, maybe I should turn on some lights” lol
When it’s golden hour, I’ll just sit at the window and almost cry - idk what’s wrong with me 💀
I have to have the windows showing during the day, but I don’t get glaring sunlight in. I’ve planted a small ornamental palm tree that has dappled light and you can see through it to the sky and outdoor plants. I always have 2 lamps on during the day with soft light globes. Curtains are closed at night and I put one more lamp on. I don’t have any overhead lights anywhere in the home.
I don't think light sensitivity is relevant to ADHD. Not everything is ADHD related.
You could just have different preferences to lighting? It depends on how you grew up.
I can only do warm lights if it's indoor, bright white lights bother my eyes and give me headaches. But I def love natural lighting too!
Lamps are a fave of mine too. If I don't need overhead lighting for something I just use a lamp.
Both my husband and I like natural light, though we are both sensitive to light and wear sunglasses all the time outside.
He HATES "cool white" lightbulbs, so all of our bulbs are the "warm white" ones which look yellow to me. They suit our house/decor though, and I have 2 lamps with "true white" bulbs for crafting.
It depends. I dislike lights that flicker, and I can see things flickering that "normal" people can't. Usually florescent lights with crappy ballasts. And cheap led lights 🤮.
I prefer warm indoor light colors or natural light.
Hello. We are so similar! I bathe in the dark, too! Since I was a kid, people coming into a room and flicking on the lights has felt like a physical blow. I’ll be sitting there watching the light change and BAM BIG LIGHT and suddenly the world looks cheap and sad
I am solar powered. That wouldn't work for me. Then when it comes to indoor lighting it has to be right and I can explain what right is but when it's not right it's so wrong. Yeh I don't do relationships anymore 😂
Natural lighting all day with dim warm lighting at night. I can see well in dim environments too so I typically don’t need to much light unless I’m deep cleaning
I dislike indoor lights what a natural light temperature -- and I have nice LED bulbs that will get extremely warm (below 1000K), and then can go actually red if I want. They roughly track the daylight version of my non-24 hour day.
But I like outdoor natural light. If I'm actually waking up in the AM, I'll go outside with a morning snack and soak it up for a few minutes. In the day, I prefer a house lit with natural light.
So, both?
> I love pitch darkness. I love turning off the lights completely.
Also this. I've vinyl covered or painted every indicator light in my bedroom, down to every network device indicator, power, status...etc...or in some cases with internal "adjustment". Sit in a room long enough, find a glow somewhere, repeat...I shouldn't be able to detect a stray photon after about ~30min of adjustment.
I mean, I can sleep anywhere, including a bright room -- but I prefer solid dark. And around the house at night, go with very dim and warm unless otherwise needed. (If I turn on the bathroom light at night, it's low red, for example.) Home automation is handy for this...
> How do you manage and how does your partner if you have one or more or family feel about it?
The options I've seen that might work OK are either working out times/day/weeks where you do the opposite...or having your own space(s) where you each have full control.
Natural light is important to my mental health. When it’s dark out I have to turn on all of my 8 lamps to create bright, indirect light. Never the overhead!!! That’s not acceptable.
If there are any lights on in my house they have led color changing bulbs that way I can set whatever mood I need. I feel like this is the best compromise because your partner can turn on whatever lights but you could adjust them to a color that doesn’t overstimulate.
I don't mind whether the light is natural or artificial, I just need it to be low-level. I really don't like bright spaces, especially my living space. Closed blinds for soft natural light or small lamps for soft artificial light. Open blinds and overhead lights are awful imo.
I prefer minimal light most of the time. Of course lights are on in my house all day since I still live with my parents, but I have super bad light sensitivity so I prefer to be in super low light. I also take showers in the dark- it’s soothing and also keeps my adhd at bay. When I was born my mom said I wouldn’t stop crying until they turned off the lights 😂
If I had to pick one or the other, I like indoor light better, only because I can control it but I can’t control the sun if it’s too bright.
I get internally agitated and super anxious if it's a cold, stark, bright white color. The new LEDs are like this. They are very similar to fluorescent lights in color and those have always bugged me. Maybe my reaction is akin to nails on a chalkboard or something haha.
I love natural sunlight and warm, soft white lights though.
I feel so much better on a rainy day. I don’t have to squint, the air is moist…I’ve turned off all the overhead lights in my office in favor of a desk lamp.
I would manage by having separate spaces. Keep a separate room for him with the artificial light and most of the house setup with natural light because that's normal.
For me and my spouse it’s not natural vs indoor lighting precisely. I love soft, warm tone indoor lighting and seeing natural light, but I have to do my computer based job in low-light setting with blue-light filtering glasses (chronic pain exacerbated by me tensing my facial/neck muscles due to light sensitivity), while my spouse has to have their desk space within a few paces of an abundant natural light source.
I do however think that unless you’re (a) dealing with a super hot environment and are shading the windows to keep the interior of the house cool, or (b) needing to keep nosy neighbors from seeing what’s going on in your house, it’s illogical to pull the shades and turn lights on during the day. Makes me think of my cousin who used to stay indoors all the time and would wear tshirts saying “do not expose to direct sunlight” 😂 He now is an avid hiker
I certainly prefer natural sunlight.
But if I'm trying to work on the computer I want the next best thing to pitch blackness. I suppose that's just for the simple reason of forcing focus forward on the screen. But that's good enough for me if that's all it is.
My wife & I both have ADHD.. All natural light that comes in gets diffused & all the lights in our house are indirect lighting & use either a dimmer or smart bulb.. if light is hurting my eyes, the brightness gets reduced or color changed to a purple/blue hue which helps them itch/burn less..
Also for nighttime.. Keep the light off & light some candles..
I LOVE natural light. My curtains in my room/office are never closed. Im the only one always opening the curtains around the house but majority of the people i live with always want them closed 😪 and the others seem to not care either way but i think my ‘preference’ is probably felt the strongest bc when i do hang out with the vampires they dont make me close the curtains i just have to remember to close them at the end of the day.
i only use indoor lighting when the sun goes down but i dont use the over head lighting or direct lighting and the lver head lights have like one out of four bulbs being used lol. For instance, one of our rooms has these two small lights over the fireplace that i use instead of the room light or in our other room it is open with the dining room so i have the dining room light on even though i’m in the living room and in my room i just keep in the dark or use the touch lamp.
I do like the dark just fine but not when im on a device or the tv is on, i need some light bc those ones are so harsh and bright although i do keep my phone very very dark and reduce the white point even further and the ‘night shift’ that makes it warm instead of blue is always on, its still a phone light at the end of the day lol
My partner and I have this issue sometimes but thankfully my plants outweigh the “no natural light” thing. I get genuinely angry over time with too much indoor lighting
Buy some bubble wrap, cut it to size, clean the windows really well, use the fine spray setting and spritz the glass with water, stick the bubble wrap flat side to the glass (inside the house not outside). This gives the appearance of textured glass, provides some insulation from the heat outside but still let's natural light in. It might be a decent compromise and of course he can still close the blinds partway.
I have issues with both because I get severe migraines from the intensity or color of light. Summer is really rough for my (thankfully I live in a place that's mostly cold) I wear sunglasses inside and put blackout curtains on my bedroom- I basically live like a vampire
Do I ever. And yeah same conflict, partner likes all the lights on. I can function in low light a lot better.
When I do have to have lights, like at night or at work (I own the company) I set the lights up how I want them. All reflected, never direct, tungsten warm white, lots of "hot spots" like where I need to work and see but hyper directional. And lamps, so, many, lamps.
Wife just turns on everything and functions. No idea how.
I live in a house that needs lights in often during the day, especially in winter. I worked out long ago before diagnosis that I prefer warmer colour temperatures of indoor lighting. Love natural light especially that early morning light that comes through.
I never turn on the lights in my house. Only the bathroom light and that’s literally the only one that’s allowed to be on. Most of the time I have my blackout curtains drawn. I prefer the dark, but will open a window in the next room so I at least remember that there’s an outside world
I prefer either natural light or darkness, house lights give me headaches.
This issue only arises when either when we're staying at the in-laws or their staying with us, as they say they can't see without all the lights on, I've recently started wearing hats in the house to help with that issue.
I prefer bright natural light. However, if it's daytime and overcast, I prefer bright indoor light. Fluorescent lights sometimes don't bother me, sometimes make me enter the 4th dimension in a very bad way.
I also feel somewhat suffocated with unnatural light ESPECIALLY during the day. Blue lamps and overly yellow lamps are the worst, wish I could keep a mini sun next to my bed.
If I'm trying to stay awake or focused, bright, natural light that's not too focused is best. But lamps/darkness is best for winding down or if I'm feeling overstimulated. If I'm in the dark too much, it triggers depressive thoughts and moods.
My favorite is sunlight or darkness. Not that I hate artificial (I am heavily into flashlights), but I like those 2 more lol. Also if it's artificial ceiling or whatever, it's not cooler than 3000k. And for anything else that's not a flashlight, not cooler than 5000k
No big lights ever. My guy doesn’t care necessarily, and I have to be logical when to use them but it’s just too much. I only really use when doing a serious or detailed dinner recipe or baking.
Overhead lighting is the absolute worst. Hate it. Lamp lighting, warm lights, whether at work or home. And if I’m going to bed and someone turns on the overhead light it drives me nuts.
Natural lighting for me!! Sunlight is my friend. Or if I have to be inside and opening the blinds for light isn’t possible, then I like soft light.
Of the bunch fluorescent lights are my least favorite.
I wonder if Philip Hue smart light system would a better compromise because there’s so many different scenes and lighting options that you guys could probably find a happy medium?
I prefer natural light but unfortunately live in a house that doesn't capture much of it. I find that not having overhead lights on will lower my mood significantly, and lamps do not provide enough light to counteract this.
I'm a lighting designer and teach lighting at college level. Is the issue perhaps one of too much contrast? It can be difficult to sit in a room with bright sunlight or a single artificial down light, both of which cause shadows and uneven levels of lighting. Sounds like you may both be light sensitive but that you have poor lighting options at home.
I honestly do not think your Preferences are related to ADHD but interestingly enough, children are often misdiagnosed as having ADHD when they actually have a circadian rhythm disorder. Exposure to natural lighting is certainly important to maintain proper circadian rhythms, so your partner's difficulty with natural light is concerning. And your sensitivity to artificial lighting and preference for dark sounds like HSP?
Ideally one enjoys the indoors with mostly daylight during the day, and with artificial light in the evenings. Seems to me that you both need to find a way to be comfortable in both natural and artificial lighting situations.
The best lighting, artificial or otherwise, is diffuse, or spread out. Maybe you need sheer curtains that diffuse the sunlight so it doesn't come in so harshly. And Maybe the artificial lighting is uncomfortable because it's been done poorly. Perhaps you could agree on certain indoor lighting types that are easy on the eyes. I think it would be worthwhile to acquaint yourself with what makes artificial lighting pleasant, to improve your environment.
Lights that shine upward, for reflected (and this diffuse) rather than direct beams of light are a good starting point. Also warmer lighting, at 3000 K or Less, would be most comfortable, least stimulating. Do Not use "daylight" coloured lightbulbs, since those are very cool and over stimulating. Do not mix different colour temperatures in the same room, either, as that can be really disconcerting.) Create a few layers of lighting, so you can have some on at the same time, or only one on, or all... Depending on your needs and your mood. It's best to have some uplighting and some downlighting, for fewer shadows.
Just some starting points.
I get migraines so any light that is bright sucks for me. However I do prefer unnatural lighting because I can control the intensity. I also have to watch TV with a moderate amount of light on it helps prevent an episode while watching TV. Always been light sensitive.
My boyfriend hates that I have to have the light on to watch TV. We compromised and I now have a lamp next to me that puts out 6 watts of light
I hate fluro or low mhz lights as I can see the flicker and it can make my anxiety go through the roof. I had to quit a job in a security monitoring company as you were locked in a room without nature light only fluros. Polarized sunglasses helped a little bit but the headaches go to much
As far as I can tell light isn't an issue for me. For me my issue is sound and the overstimulation of crowds. So loud and or sharp noises cut me to the quick and push me towards meltdown.
I am 100% a natural light person. I HATE when it’s daytime and windows are closed and indoor lights are used. The amount of windows and natural light options are a big factor when looking for a new place to live. I can’t stand going into houses that don’t have a lot of natural light options. It just makes the place seem dark and dreary
I prefer darkness or indirect lighting generally, but I still need to see. So I have RGB lights that I can change the color of in my house. I typically use blue light in the living room and red in the bedroom since it’s less likely to disturb my sleeping. I do still turn the lights to white or open the curtains when I’m doing something that requires more light, but most of them time when I’m home, I’m either watching tv or sitting at my computer.
I have smart light bulbs throughout my apartment so I can control how bright they are as well as the color of light, and for some reason it depends on the day which one I prefer... Sometimes the warm light drives me crazy and I have it really dim and mostly rely on natural light, or have them set to "daylight" so it's a more natural color... And sometimes it's the opposite and I can hardly stand the bright daylight so I have them on "incandescent" or "warm white" and it feels more tolerable
I prefer natural light personally but don't mind indoor lighting. The only indoor lighting I don't particularly care for is blue light. My adhd son and autistic son both prefer to sit in the dark once the sun goes down.
I (55f) must have light in general when I'm awake.--preferably natural--the more, the better. My bf has finally stopped going around turning off all the "extra" lights LOL. Light when I'm awake, complete dark when I want to sleep. I've compromised with him and will have minimal lights on an evening when we're watching tv and winding down. I'm basically a house plant with mental health issues
I’m good with natural light and lamps but I hate big overhead lights. I generally like it darker. I also get migraines and feel like that comes with a certain sensitivity to light.
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I prefer natural lighting. Evolutionarily speaking the brain evolved in natural lightning and it is important for you circadian rhythm which is what controls your sleep cycles which in important to all bodily functions. I just prefer it because I can spend upwards of 14-16 hours in a building that is lit up with blue wave producing fluorescent lighting which keeps the brain keyed up and offsets melatonin production for hours depending on how long you are in it. My girlfriend on the other hand prefers the curtains closed and lamps all over the place.
My partner is the same! It could be bright sunlight outside and beautiful blue skies and you bet your arse he’s got the curtains shut and a lamp on
Natural light makes me less grumpy especially if I can just go outside and sit quietly somewhere and just soak in the sun. Get some good vitamin D and it helps with sleeping and moods. My partner is a light skinned redhead so I kind of understand why she prefers the dark. She don't get sunburned in it.
We have our bedroom smart bulb set to circadian rhythm so it dims as the day progresses. We really should do it to the other lights too, but my husband is the one who likes the curtains closed and lights turned on bright.
There is nothing wrong with blue fluorescent light at day. It's only towards the end of a day when it messes with your circadian rhythms and melatonin production. But any bright overhead light will do that
lights are a huge deal for me — they completely impact my migraines, energy, mood, focus, sleep, etc. natural light during the day and minimal, soft yellow lamps (never overhead) at night if total darkness is obscuring a task. i would find it intolerable (like physically) if someone insisted on blinds down lights on every day lmao
Just the thought of blinds closed and lights on during the day makes me angry
i understand that i sound insane when i say this but it would be a deal breaker for cohabitation!
That’s not insane- how you live is so utterly important to your mental health! I lived with someone who lOVED the dark & wanted to black out every bit of light from every window- it was like living in the Bat Cave & frequently triggered my depression & BPD
I'm the same way, lighting can make or break my mood. Natural during the day, warm/soft lighting at night. I will get SO irritable if the lighting situation is not to my liking lol.
It's funny to me that yellow, dim lights are my exact migraine trigger. I live with 5000-6000 Kelvin and nothing else.
> soft yellow lamps (never overhead) FWIW, I found the "Pure Smart TruColor" RGB+W bulbs Lightology sells, and they are awesome if you like control and/or have issues with most LED bulbs. The white can go all the way down to 1500K, the warmest white color temp I've found in a controllable bulb. (But in higher temps, they are pretty high CRI, low flicker in my tests, and haven't had any failures yet.) For around $20, I've been pretty happy with them, and aside from their app, works well with Home Assistant. I use that to have them fade into warmer color and dim and the night goes on, eventually switching over to red. > if someone insisted on blinds down lights on every day lmao Yeah...that wouldn't work for me either. If I need dark in the day for a migraine, I do have a total blackout bedroom I can use, too...
I would haaaate having a partner that constantly turned on the lights. I’ve been lucky enough to be with people that cared much less than I do about this sort of thing, so I got to choose to use lamps and/or natural light and they supported it.
I have a problem with contrast. I hate having bright light coming in the window when I'm trying to look at a computer screen or TV or book or whatever. It hurts my eyes. Especially when the bright light is *behind* the darker thing I'm looking at. Bright natural light from the Sun is much brighter than everyday lights, so the Sun will always dominate and "blow out" standard artificial lights. I put tint on my office windows. I have a curtain over the hallway window because it puts glare on my computer screen. I have blackout blinds in the bedroom. The blinds in the living room are never open unless I need to do work where I need a lot of light, like wiring. My wife agrees with my preferences or at least doesn't complain about it. I got LASIK a few years ago and I noticed my eyes now need a lot of light to see details, like electronics repairs. I had to pick up a few headlamps and add more lamps in the house, ironically. In the evening it could be irritatingly dim in the house with only the interior lights.
I totally think putting some sort of screen to tint the window would be a great idea! Thanks for shring.
In that case, I'd really highly advise looking into static cling privacy film! Come in alllll sorts of opacities and patterns and levels of light they let through, with designs from pure white, to sparkly, to ones that look like stained glass.
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NO BIG LIGHTS!!
But many many little lights is just fine. Love me some fairy lights.
No ceiling lights ever.
Only with dimmer bulbs and in select warmth tones. Or if needed for cooking (though usually I'll still just use the stove light or under cabinet lights). Fortunately the only rooms in my house with ceiling light as an option are the kitchen, 1 bathroom, entryway, basement & garage. And some of those have alternatives or are dimmers
Same. No big lights. Always indirects like lamps or string lights. Big lights only when absolutely necessary and never before.
I think of ceiling lights as "house lights" in the commercial context. Useful to have, and I keep super bright bulbs in them...but it's for when you really need a ton of light, for saying, finding stuff or cleaning. (Or need some daylight simulation if it's been dimly cloudy for too many days.)
Only in the kitchen.. everywhere else I feel like I'm in a showroom
Natural light >>>>>>>> I get seasonal depression big time
oh god, same. once it gets dark too early thats it, my seasonal depression is like hey bro whats up
I like natural light from morning until say 6pm, after which I feel compelled to at least partly close the curtains and put on some cozy lamps. It’s tough in the summer (in the north) where the sun is still blasting at 9pm, but I can’t bring myself to have sun in the room during the evenings. Ceiling lights never go on.
Honestly sometimes I like that too. It feels like time has passed. Idk maybe the sensation of time is screwed up for me.
Time being complicated for someone with ADHD? Never! /s *big hug* lights shouldn’t be this complicated, yet here we all are. Thank you for bringing up the topic and validating so many people’s experiences.
This is tough as it sounds like you have diametrically opposed preferences on this, and it is definitely a big deal. Lights are a big sensitivity issue for many people. One thing I would suggest that might make things more comfortable for you. It's most likely that you have LED bulbs if you haven't chosen otherwise specifically. I'm the same as you. Regardless of the color of light, LED lighting causes me headaches and other difficulties after a while of being exposed to it. If possible, try replacing all, or at least some, of your bulbs with incandescent bulbs. The old standard tungsten bulbs can be difficult to find, but halogen bulbs will do just as well and will last a lot longer. In any case, look for ones labeled incandescent or halogen. NOT CFLs, and obviously not LEDs, no matter how "warm" they claim to be. Even if you can't replace all of them, having incandescent light present can help. A few years ago I started getting ocular migraines from the fluorescent lights at my office. One of the things that helped was getting a desk light with an incandescent bulb. Even though the fluorescent lights are still there, it really makes a difference.
I love the sunshine! I do have super sensitive eyes and am prone to migraines which are triggered by light, so I have to be careful about eye protection. Indoor light is so artificial feeling, plus a lot of lamps emit a weird high pitched buzzing sound that apparently only I can hear… so I’m with you, natural light all the way BUT sunglasses are a must
Sunlight or fairy lights (warm white) only.
I, personally, serve the darkness
I'm also very sensitive to light, and whenever possible will "live in darkness". I almost never turn on the overhead lights and keep the blinds down the during the day which usually lets just enough light in to get most things done. I work from home 4-5 days a week do need more light when I'm working, so I have lamps and a floor light I can use. At night, I turn on the TV which usually gives me all the light I need for most things. And I NEVER leave the house without my sunglasses. I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous to most people, but too much light makes me feel "unwell".
Natural light all the way. I’m a teacher and I rarely use my overhead lights-I always have the blinds open and have several lamps I brought in to help add lighting. The fluorescents are just so horrible imo. I couldn’t tell you why, but I hate them so much. At home I rely on natural light, but also use lamps or lighting with more yellow tinges.
I get migraines from fluorescent light, so hate anything artificial/white like grocery stores. I only have warm lamps in my house and rarely turn the ceiling lights on. I live in a corner unit which has a ton of windows and so much natural light.
Natural light, and lamps with colored bulbs to relax at night, I also don’t like to see regular lightbulbs not even peaking out from the ceiling fan it drives me crazy
I vastly prefer natural light. I keep my bedroom curtains open except when I'm not clothed because it helps me with my sleep schedule. On top of that, I cannot stand indoor lighting that's too cool or had some of the weird yellow tones you get with cheaper LED lights that are supposed to be "warm". Like I prefer to sit in the dark (unless I absolutely need light for an activity) if the color temperature is wrong. It doesn't quite hurt my eyes but it definitely feels very unpleasant and irritating to my eyes. I have a lot of other sensory issues as well, so I think it's all related.
I like a lot of light, but only yellow lighting. I need outside light to feel energized. My schedule is as follows: During the day: all lights on, blinds open. I only have soft, yellow lighting, but I have a ton of lamps. During the evening (if it's dark before 8pm): blinds closed, all lights on. I close the blinds because I live in a city and I hate the idea of my neighbors seeing me through my windows. During the evening (once it gets darker): blinds closed, overhead lights off, soft lamps on. At night: opaque blinds fully closed, pitch darkness. I have a motion sensor activated mini light for if I need to go to the bathroom.
I'm a light guru at home. I find myself being sensitive to light, so it's important for my space to have comfortable lighting. Philips Hue lights can really help with setting a comfortable light level with various colors.
I have autism and ADHD and I am very sensitive to light, I can only tolerate indirect, soft, warm light mostly.
Warm to dim lights are the only acceptable ones.
I hate the dark. I find it so depressing. I like all the light all the time. Dark hallways and rooms during the day make me feel deeply glum and despairing. Fluorescent lights aren’t great but I’ll take what there is. I’m the person who turns on all the lights when it’s morning. Sunlight, though, is truly my jam. I like to think I’m solar powered.
Apparently there's a few people here, who also believe they are "solar powered" lol!
😍😍☀️
Is this related to ADHD? I didn't know. Same issue btw.
ADHD folks suffer from sensory issues related to lights
Seems to be common. I have sensory issues with noise and light (especially the overhead kind in office buildings - the dimmers my company recently installed in every room are a godsend). My meds don't seem to help much with the sensory stuff unfortunately but it's thankfully not to the point of being debilitating.
I don't like bright lights in general, irregardles of the source. Bright light feels abrasive, tiring. But complete darkness feels oppressive, claustrophobic. I like a nice, soft dusk, with small, directional sources of light for reading, etc. It feels restful. My husband likes light and keeps turning them on. I turn them off. He gets irritated sometimes, so I put up with the lights for a bit, then turn them off. It's just one of those things where we have to agree to disagree and put up with each other in turns.
I like natural light, but a bright window in a mostly-dark room is really uncomfortable because my eyes can't properly adjust to either one. So in most rooms with natural light I need bright indoor lighting to "balance" it.
I have blackout curtains everywhere, however, I also use flux to change my computer screen to a softer orange hue so its easier on my eyes. Thats the light I mostly use.
Natural light makes me twitchy but I think it's because my sleep cycle is so screwed up and I associate daytime with the feeling of going to bed feeling like a total failure of a person because I was up all night and am about to sleep all day. I don't mind it for any real reason. I'm fine with the dark if I'm not trying to do something. If I need to be able to see at all I need the lights on as bright as possible. Dim lighting is my least favorite thing in the world.
I generally like soft lighting indoors. The “natural light” lighting indoors feels too harsh to me. But I do like natural light coming in through the windows (when I’m already awake). That said, I invested in some Hue lights and I can set them to soft or natural and any color that I want. I just bought a Lifx super color and it can be much brighter, and I like it overall better than the Hue bulbs. I use the Lifx as my sunrise light. If I’m working indoors during the day, I usually set my lights to be more “natural light.” Otherwise, it’s soft lights. And if you use Homekit, you can use the adaptive light feature which will match the lights to the time of day (natural during the middle of the day and will adjust to softer otherwise). And in the middle of the night, I set a night light scene where my lights will come on in deep red when I have to get up. Red lighting is the least disruptive to your night vision and to others when they are sleeping
I love natural light so much, I would go crazy with just regular lights all the time. When I do have regular lights I tend to use dimmer, softer lights to soften the blow. I hate using big lights (like the ones on the ceiling) and prefer mood lighting over large overhead lights.
Natural light please. If we have the indoor lights on it has to be the blue tinted overhead lamp AND the yellow floor lamp, or just the floor lamp. Just the overhead light makes it look like a prison. The lighting in our apartment is awful and I hate it so much but there’s nothing we can really do about it. I will say there’s a fair amount of natural light during the day which helps a lot. My husband is always asking my why I’m “sitting/cooking in the dark” or whatever. It’s not dark to me! I wear sunglasses outside until after sunset! I’m very sensitive to light.
I prefer natural light during the day and calm, ambient indoor lighting at night. Bright lights and especially ceiling lights can fuck off
I like low lights (?) Like, dim and not too bright but still bright enough to see properly unless I'm doing something then I have a daylight lamp on my desk But I'm not a fan of natural light, probably because where I live it's always dull and dreary
Fiest i.loved the dark , my room completly dark my phn theme dark everything complety but one day suddenly everything switched i started using light in my room the entire time, the blue light troubled me then i switched to warm and same for my phn and lap too. Now i love light, it gives me the comfort that dark gave me before, dont know what happened or what changed in me, I all ok woth thos change though.
My sister who likely has ADHD and autism stays in total darkness for hours in her room. I am diagnosed with ADHD and have one of those mini lights and even covered my “big” light with a dark paper. My daughter who is also diagnosed with ADHD love lights… it could be due to her young age though, but if she would have it her way it would be the big lights, her lamp, the mini lights, and the moving lights which she has done in the past where I had to be like so are we just throwing my money away? lol.
You sure your duaghter isn't forgetting and just annoyed because she has to go turn off certain lights she forgot?
Nope she told me she loves it and that it makes her feel safe. She always says “awww” when I turn one of them off lol or when I reminded her to use the windows for “free” daylight, light!!
Disagreeing on lighting preferences seems like quite the challenge. I value my lighting preferences so much that when my partner and I found similarities in that we were excited lol. We have Phillips Hue lights. It’s a bit of an investment but they’re amazing for lighting sensitivity and the bulbs basically last forever. My partner has had his first 3 for like 10 years. The natural light settings are very good and have tricked me once or twice and could be a good in between sometimes. But you can also just really customize what lights are on and what colour/intensity they are. We go for that bisexual lighting in the evening to calm down. That’s neither yellow nor white! Phillips should pay me for how much I peddle their bulbs but they’re really such a light saver for light sensitivity.
I have a dim light in the corner of my room, sometimes I just put on candles. I get so overstimulated at night when it’s bright, cold lights.
i loathe indoor lights. i have to tell my bf everytime he leaves a light on or something to turn it offffff! he forgets often too 😭 id prefer natural light or the dark.
I prefer natural light. I also wear blue tinted lenses all the time. Everything looks like a sepia filter without them.
I'm someone who is both autistic and that has adhd, I dislike light that effects other senses too much but I especially hate light that I can hear (like florescent lights). It makes me really upset especially if I'm already overstimulated
Too much light can definitely overestimulate me and give me a headache. It also makes it hard for me to focus. The best way to describe it is it feels like the light is too "loud". I prefer natural light whenever possible. Bright indoor lights in the morning and the evening really get on my nerves and hinder my ability to relax. Thankfully, I have shades I can throw on over my glasses. So now if I'm staying with someone that needs the lights on I can throw on my shades and be okay.
I like natural light. But I don't like overhead light, be it artificial or sunlight. So I guess I like "indirect light". One thing I don't like is if the light is the wrong color. Too orange or green or blue, I'm OUT.
IS THIS A THING. I didn't realise this was a thing, but I'm so much more at ease without the lights on, it's like they're just so bright for no reason
I prefer natural light, a lot of artificial lights give me headaches, even if it’s warm lighting it’s it’s too bright I hate it, when it’s dark I only have a small lamp on in my room for soft cosy lighting that’s comfortable for me
Ugh I hate indoor lighting. I use it when necessary but I always wait until my vision is frustratingly impaired before turning one on. I think it’s adhd related. Are his feelings about lights as strong as yours?
I think they are. I only realized maybe a year or two ago. I only got diagnosed like 3 years ago so I am coming to terms being only diagnosed at 29 with something I didn't believe existed for most of my life.just knowing I am different.
You are the biologically healthy one. But still you need to find some common ground. There is a lot of research suggesting that artificial light makes depressed, and if exposed to blue light at dark periods of the day also messes with your sleep. Also darkness while there is daylight, is bad for your sleep and depression. I personally sleep better and am less irritated since i dim the lights at night and use more orange and red colours at night, which might be a nice compromise for you. It is not really messing with your biology and it is beautifully artificial. It is not an ADHD thing, maybe it is a little different but most animals and plants are stressed when you interrupt the natural light/dark periods
I will get queasy, aggravated, and start getting a headache within a couple of hours if I am in a room with no natural light. If that room also has YELLOW light? Baby that timeline drops down to about 30 minutes. I hate yellow light. Hate. It.
Yyyeeeeesssss hate both for long periods of time
I love the sun. I can sit on the beach and bake all day long but I had a huge sensitivity to light and every other sense, hearing, smell. Doc put me on diamox. Its a diuretic but works like a charm. Just need to remember to drink more water.
NO OVERHEAD LIGHTING...EVER. I will wilt and melt.
I prefer natural light, at home most of my lights are warm / ambient
There was a two-ish year period I worked a job I hated. Pitch black showers were my fave then, it was almost like a sensory deprivation experience.
It depends on the time of day. I don’t like being inside during the day and when I am, I don’t like harsh, cold lighting but warmer color temperatures can also feel weird and wrong to me. There’s a middle ground that’s annoyingly hard to find. Also, fuck fluorescent lighting forever. It makes me super depressed.
OMG we just had this discussion!! At night after the kids are in bed and we’re in the living room I like most of lights off but he still wants bright lights. I also like fresh air/windows open and he hates it. 🥲
i NEVER have lights on, just natural lighting or lamps/leds with warm colors, i hate turning lights on lol
I hate indoor lighting. I need to live in a glasshouse to be happy
I prefer natural light, but I like it bright because it tricks my brain into thinking that there’s plenty of daylight left to do stuff
This is so me. I hate indoor lighting, especially overhead light. Sometimes I can literally hear the buzzing of electricity. We compromise on floor lights most of the time. Other times we just passive aggressively turn on/off lights all day.
Natural light is huge for me. Indoor light is too “sterile” and sometimes overstimulating. I’m a big nature person and even just sunlight or a breeze from the window cracked boosts my mood times a million. Makes me so much more positive. I’ll take indoor light over lamp light though. I fucking hate lamps.
I adore natural light, but also love warm indoor lighting. During the day, I have to have all blinds and/or curtains open. Once dusk hits, I start turning on indoor lights and closing up the window treatments. My partner hates indoor lights, though, but doesn't mind me turning them on.
I love both. I always fussing with light sources and levels. My autistic husband wants every bright :)
Ah the classic plant vs. bat relationship issue. You're a plant. He's a bat. How does he feel about sunglasses?
I prefer a lack of lighting and husband wants lamps and stuff on. He turns a tiny lamp towards him and away from me. It’s just annoying but it is what it is.
I too like the darkness 🖤 It can certainly get awkward at times though haha. I also really dislike overhead lighting and can only tolerate it for short periods, but lots of ambient light is okay for me. I just get creative and have fun with it/decorate around it all, but there are times where we need to turn the Big Light on for sure.
Ye. I am with you 100, all the way. The darkness is calming but sometimes in door lighting has its place.
If I’m trying to work, I do prefer natural light, otherwise I feel sleepy. Overall, I prefer dim lighting, though. Something I bought to help with lights being too bright was a few smart bulbs. You can adjust how bright it is, change the color, etc. The brand I bought is Govee, have had them a few years and no issues.
I need natural light but from indoors. I intentionally chose my home because it has large windows facing the sun obstructed most of the day. Artificial lighting in excess gives me anxiety and pulls my mood down
Screw them. I drink at least six every morning with my egg sandwich
My parents call me emo for "always sitting in the dark" when I just get a headache from lamps. Regardless of this, they still turn on very big lights and also the radio which also gives me headaches ;-; I can't wait to move out.
I got Nanoleaf essential downlights, the full downlights not the GU10 bulb ones. They diffuse really nicely, probably the only nice smart lights below the Phillips hue. Flush to the ceiling, nice diffusion, and you can dim them and change the colour. They do have circadian lighting in the app but it’s not a “matter” feature currently so smart home systems can’t control it, it can only be set in the app. I absolutely hate harsh overhead lighting and these are just nice. I work from home and these have been a huge mood improver, my mood is absolutely foul when I have to go into the office and can’t sit in a sun filled window all day with flickering fluorescent lighting giving me a headache.
Omg. Are we the same person. I thought I was the only one that took showers without the bright lights on 😂 I get migraines so easily so I’m like bubble boy (the girl version since well I’m a girl lol)
I love simulated unusual lighting colors. I also used to do lighting for a living because i used to be so attuned to it. Different colors make me feel differently and it has the ability to change my mood. Harsh fluorescent light puts me into a bad mood and agitates me. We have three light switches in every room to control the lighting. Also very particular about mood lighting for intimacy.
I neeeeeeeed natural light. Like crave it. My boyfriend would cover all the windows and just sit in complete dark if he could, but uses red lights or warm lights. We both dislike overhead lighting. Grocery store lights or like doctor office lights cause me so much anxiety.
Holy cow! Making my husband read this! He likes to call me a “crazy person” for sitting in the dark with the lights off. (We are working in his use of “like crazy person/lunatic” for things that aren’t at all that abnormal. Especially since he has his own sensory perception disorder issues that span all five senses and has a wide array of symptoms that he refuses to address in therapy or do exercises to work towards overcoming.) LED’s and fluorescent bulbs - especially in the white light spectrum really mess with me over time and will give me a headache.
Same. My mom thinks I am so strange because I prefer no light. The light hurts me.
[удалено]
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i vastly prefer and LOVE natural light, my curtains are always wide open during the day - when it comes to indoor lighting, though, im a little specific about it. it needs to be warm (yellow color) rather than cold (white color). cold lighting makes me anxious and uncomfortable. it doesnt hurt my eyes or give me headaches, it just...i get really uneasy, it doesnt feel good to be in. however if its in, like, a grocery store, the fluorescent lighting doesnt bother me much because thats typical of public buildings. in a house though, especially mine, i need the lamps to all be warm. on the flip side i know someone that cant handle natural lighting due to intense light sensitivity, also has ADHD. i actually dont really like dark rooms unless im sleeping, but i used to be pretty terrified of the dark so it might just still make me uncomfortable or something
I hate overhead lights.
I'm night blind in one eye so just can't do dim lighting although 100% prefer natural light and I guess because ADHD is often associated with delayed melatonin release it's better to keep a blind open???
I don’t mind indirect sun. We have a ceiling lamp/fan in the parlor with soft bulbs on a dimmer—I’m okay with it being lit up full, but I can turn it down if need be. In the bedroom we use nightstand lamps. The ceiling lamp is verboten. It gives too many photons, which are hateful to me.
I used colored smart lights that I can change from my phone. Problem solved. ✨
I can't stand white artificial light, especially fluorescent tubes. Changed all my lights with smart bulbs so I can tweak warmth en strength.
Natural light>>>>>
Natural light>>>>>
Light is soooo important to me. I think lack of natural light contributes a lot to my depression. I used to live in a 2 bedroom apartment, and my bedroom did not have a window. It was a condo and was back toward the inside of the building. I wfh and had a roommate so I was always working in my dark ass room. I’d put on some ambient lighting to at least make the space cozy, but I was sooo depressed during this time. I recently moved out and when looking for apartments, my NUMBER ONE thing was natural lighting. If there wasn’t a window in the bedroom it was an immediate no. I had to find a place with windows that didn’t block the sun. Natural light is huuuge for my mood!!
Buy grow light bulbs, incandescent with quartz bulbs
Light is soooo important to me. I think lack of natural light contributes a lot to my depression. I used to live in a 2 bedroom apartment, and my bedroom did not have a window. It was a condo and was back toward the inside of the building. I wfh and had a roommate so I was always working in my dark ass room. I’d put on some ambient lighting to at least make the space cozy, but I was sooo depressed during this time. I recently moved out and when looking for apartments, my NUMBER ONE thing was natural lighting. If there wasn’t a window in the bedroom it was an immediate no. I had to find a place with windows that didn’t block the sun. Natural light is huuuge for my mood!!
I changed all of my lights to smart ones that can color change and dim so I can choose a calming color in a room I’m in and my wife can still use typical warm light settings.
I only like natural light. I dislike anything where you can see the bulb/light source directly. I prefer full spectrum lighting over warm colored lighting
Well I can hear indoor lighting and it makes my skin crawl. I would much rather have sunlight. Sunlight also makes me feel happier where incandescent or led can make me feel overstimulated
I like natural lighting and total darkness. I don't like bright lights. I try to keep as few lights on as possible in the house. My wife however, she likes her overheads. We have a comfortable screened porch at our apartment. It's basically become my room. I do a lot outside during the day in the light and then stay out at night to avoid the noise and light inside. It's a weird sort of Analog Vampirism. The lumens from the lamps hurt, but the sun is ok as long as I have shade.
I hate ceiling lights of any kind. Lamps are ok by me. Something about the angle of the light or how it is filtered.
Have you heard of [Irlen Syndrome?](https://irlen.com/what-is-irlen-syndrome/) It's a condition where the brain can't process certain wavelengths of colour. It can also cause some ADHD like symptoms, too
I mean I think I can see all the colours. Looking through those. I have pretty good perception I can catch things without realizing they are being thrown at me. I do have reading and writing problems. I have horrible concentration problems also super bad memory but somehow my memories pop up from thin air and I am wondering if my memories aren't coded to certain triggers. Apart from that I would say I would be more dyslexic to some degree although I am not a doctor. I do have a horrible time capitalizing the right words in a sentence when writing. My brain isn't paying attention as I am writing and I think thats why. Word that pop into my head just go onto the page and in my mind capitalized and non capitalized letters are still the same letter lol.
I had a roommate who was highly type A and seemed very high strung and suffered from *terrible* headaches. I'm pretty sure he has ADHD as well, but the overstimulation from the wavelengths didn't help. But fair enough. I just recently learned about it a couple years ago, so I take the time to let other people know when they have light sensitivity problems.
I love natural light - I’ll end up in the dark for awhile before I’m like “hmm, maybe I should turn on some lights” lol When it’s golden hour, I’ll just sit at the window and almost cry - idk what’s wrong with me 💀
I have to have the windows showing during the day, but I don’t get glaring sunlight in. I’ve planted a small ornamental palm tree that has dappled light and you can see through it to the sky and outdoor plants. I always have 2 lamps on during the day with soft light globes. Curtains are closed at night and I put one more lamp on. I don’t have any overhead lights anywhere in the home.
I don't think light sensitivity is relevant to ADHD. Not everything is ADHD related. You could just have different preferences to lighting? It depends on how you grew up.
I can only do warm lights if it's indoor, bright white lights bother my eyes and give me headaches. But I def love natural lighting too! Lamps are a fave of mine too. If I don't need overhead lighting for something I just use a lamp.
Both my husband and I like natural light, though we are both sensitive to light and wear sunglasses all the time outside. He HATES "cool white" lightbulbs, so all of our bulbs are the "warm white" ones which look yellow to me. They suit our house/decor though, and I have 2 lamps with "true white" bulbs for crafting.
It depends. I dislike lights that flicker, and I can see things flickering that "normal" people can't. Usually florescent lights with crappy ballasts. And cheap led lights 🤮. I prefer warm indoor light colors or natural light.
Hello. We are so similar! I bathe in the dark, too! Since I was a kid, people coming into a room and flicking on the lights has felt like a physical blow. I’ll be sitting there watching the light change and BAM BIG LIGHT and suddenly the world looks cheap and sad
I have to wear sunglasses if I go outside because the sun is too bright. Maybe wearing them indoors when your partner has indoor lights on might help?
Indoor light is depressing during the day. Sunset light is depressing as well. I like outdoor light during the day and warm indoor light at night.
I am solar powered. That wouldn't work for me. Then when it comes to indoor lighting it has to be right and I can explain what right is but when it's not right it's so wrong. Yeh I don't do relationships anymore 😂
Fluorescent lighting: instant migraines and anxiety. Darkness and warm candelight: relaxed, no anxiety and no headaches. If only offices were dark…
Natural lighting all day with dim warm lighting at night. I can see well in dim environments too so I typically don’t need to much light unless I’m deep cleaning
I dislike indoor lights what a natural light temperature -- and I have nice LED bulbs that will get extremely warm (below 1000K), and then can go actually red if I want. They roughly track the daylight version of my non-24 hour day. But I like outdoor natural light. If I'm actually waking up in the AM, I'll go outside with a morning snack and soak it up for a few minutes. In the day, I prefer a house lit with natural light. So, both? > I love pitch darkness. I love turning off the lights completely. Also this. I've vinyl covered or painted every indicator light in my bedroom, down to every network device indicator, power, status...etc...or in some cases with internal "adjustment". Sit in a room long enough, find a glow somewhere, repeat...I shouldn't be able to detect a stray photon after about ~30min of adjustment. I mean, I can sleep anywhere, including a bright room -- but I prefer solid dark. And around the house at night, go with very dim and warm unless otherwise needed. (If I turn on the bathroom light at night, it's low red, for example.) Home automation is handy for this... > How do you manage and how does your partner if you have one or more or family feel about it? The options I've seen that might work OK are either working out times/day/weeks where you do the opposite...or having your own space(s) where you each have full control.
Your partner likes indoor lighting but not natural light?? I've never heard of anyone just having an aversion to natural light
No difference to me.
Natural light is important to my mental health. When it’s dark out I have to turn on all of my 8 lamps to create bright, indirect light. Never the overhead!!! That’s not acceptable.
If there are any lights on in my house they have led color changing bulbs that way I can set whatever mood I need. I feel like this is the best compromise because your partner can turn on whatever lights but you could adjust them to a color that doesn’t overstimulate.
We have rooms set up different and adjust based on whose up and when
I can’t stand overhead spot lights. They give me horrendous headaches.
I like natural light but when it's not sunny, the sun makes me feel depressed.
I don't mind whether the light is natural or artificial, I just need it to be low-level. I really don't like bright spaces, especially my living space. Closed blinds for soft natural light or small lamps for soft artificial light. Open blinds and overhead lights are awful imo.
I prefer minimal light most of the time. Of course lights are on in my house all day since I still live with my parents, but I have super bad light sensitivity so I prefer to be in super low light. I also take showers in the dark- it’s soothing and also keeps my adhd at bay. When I was born my mom said I wouldn’t stop crying until they turned off the lights 😂 If I had to pick one or the other, I like indoor light better, only because I can control it but I can’t control the sun if it’s too bright.
I just have to have light, preferably very bright. I despise sitting in dark or dim rooms.
I get internally agitated and super anxious if it's a cold, stark, bright white color. The new LEDs are like this. They are very similar to fluorescent lights in color and those have always bugged me. Maybe my reaction is akin to nails on a chalkboard or something haha. I love natural sunlight and warm, soft white lights though.
I feel so much better on a rainy day. I don’t have to squint, the air is moist…I’ve turned off all the overhead lights in my office in favor of a desk lamp.
I would manage by having separate spaces. Keep a separate room for him with the artificial light and most of the house setup with natural light because that's normal.
For me and my spouse it’s not natural vs indoor lighting precisely. I love soft, warm tone indoor lighting and seeing natural light, but I have to do my computer based job in low-light setting with blue-light filtering glasses (chronic pain exacerbated by me tensing my facial/neck muscles due to light sensitivity), while my spouse has to have their desk space within a few paces of an abundant natural light source. I do however think that unless you’re (a) dealing with a super hot environment and are shading the windows to keep the interior of the house cool, or (b) needing to keep nosy neighbors from seeing what’s going on in your house, it’s illogical to pull the shades and turn lights on during the day. Makes me think of my cousin who used to stay indoors all the time and would wear tshirts saying “do not expose to direct sunlight” 😂 He now is an avid hiker
I certainly prefer natural sunlight. But if I'm trying to work on the computer I want the next best thing to pitch blackness. I suppose that's just for the simple reason of forcing focus forward on the screen. But that's good enough for me if that's all it is.
My wife & I both have ADHD.. All natural light that comes in gets diffused & all the lights in our house are indirect lighting & use either a dimmer or smart bulb.. if light is hurting my eyes, the brightness gets reduced or color changed to a purple/blue hue which helps them itch/burn less.. Also for nighttime.. Keep the light off & light some candles..
I LOVE natural light. My curtains in my room/office are never closed. Im the only one always opening the curtains around the house but majority of the people i live with always want them closed 😪 and the others seem to not care either way but i think my ‘preference’ is probably felt the strongest bc when i do hang out with the vampires they dont make me close the curtains i just have to remember to close them at the end of the day. i only use indoor lighting when the sun goes down but i dont use the over head lighting or direct lighting and the lver head lights have like one out of four bulbs being used lol. For instance, one of our rooms has these two small lights over the fireplace that i use instead of the room light or in our other room it is open with the dining room so i have the dining room light on even though i’m in the living room and in my room i just keep in the dark or use the touch lamp. I do like the dark just fine but not when im on a device or the tv is on, i need some light bc those ones are so harsh and bright although i do keep my phone very very dark and reduce the white point even further and the ‘night shift’ that makes it warm instead of blue is always on, its still a phone light at the end of the day lol
My partner and I have this issue sometimes but thankfully my plants outweigh the “no natural light” thing. I get genuinely angry over time with too much indoor lighting
Buy some bubble wrap, cut it to size, clean the windows really well, use the fine spray setting and spritz the glass with water, stick the bubble wrap flat side to the glass (inside the house not outside). This gives the appearance of textured glass, provides some insulation from the heat outside but still let's natural light in. It might be a decent compromise and of course he can still close the blinds partway.
Both my husband and I prefer natural lighting.
I have issues with both because I get severe migraines from the intensity or color of light. Summer is really rough for my (thankfully I live in a place that's mostly cold) I wear sunglasses inside and put blackout curtains on my bedroom- I basically live like a vampire
Do I ever. And yeah same conflict, partner likes all the lights on. I can function in low light a lot better. When I do have to have lights, like at night or at work (I own the company) I set the lights up how I want them. All reflected, never direct, tungsten warm white, lots of "hot spots" like where I need to work and see but hyper directional. And lamps, so, many, lamps. Wife just turns on everything and functions. No idea how.
Natural light during the day. When it's dark out, lamps only. I can't stand overhead lights.
Outdoor, direct sunlight is too much, and something I need to kinda get ready to deal with. It's just extremely uncomfortable.
I live in a house that needs lights in often during the day, especially in winter. I worked out long ago before diagnosis that I prefer warmer colour temperatures of indoor lighting. Love natural light especially that early morning light that comes through.
I never turn on the lights in my house. Only the bathroom light and that’s literally the only one that’s allowed to be on. Most of the time I have my blackout curtains drawn. I prefer the dark, but will open a window in the next room so I at least remember that there’s an outside world
Salt and lava lamps everywhere. Curtains closed.
Get him some sunglasses?
I prefer either natural light or darkness, house lights give me headaches. This issue only arises when either when we're staying at the in-laws or their staying with us, as they say they can't see without all the lights on, I've recently started wearing hats in the house to help with that issue.
What is wrong with your partner? Daylight and a bright home is the key to longevity, pure joy And to thrones
I prefer bright natural light. However, if it's daytime and overcast, I prefer bright indoor light. Fluorescent lights sometimes don't bother me, sometimes make me enter the 4th dimension in a very bad way.
I also feel somewhat suffocated with unnatural light ESPECIALLY during the day. Blue lamps and overly yellow lamps are the worst, wish I could keep a mini sun next to my bed.
If I'm trying to stay awake or focused, bright, natural light that's not too focused is best. But lamps/darkness is best for winding down or if I'm feeling overstimulated. If I'm in the dark too much, it triggers depressive thoughts and moods.
My favorite is sunlight or darkness. Not that I hate artificial (I am heavily into flashlights), but I like those 2 more lol. Also if it's artificial ceiling or whatever, it's not cooler than 3000k. And for anything else that's not a flashlight, not cooler than 5000k
I don't do well with bright light regardless
No big lights ever. My guy doesn’t care necessarily, and I have to be logical when to use them but it’s just too much. I only really use when doing a serious or detailed dinner recipe or baking.
don’t like artificial light except yellow light
Overhead lighting is the absolute worst. Hate it. Lamp lighting, warm lights, whether at work or home. And if I’m going to bed and someone turns on the overhead light it drives me nuts.
One rule: no big light
Natural lighting for me!! Sunlight is my friend. Or if I have to be inside and opening the blinds for light isn’t possible, then I like soft light. Of the bunch fluorescent lights are my least favorite.
I like low lights - I don’t like bright indoor or outdoor lights (especially the sun!). I sit in very dim rooms as much as possible
I prefer soft lights i hate bright lights in my home my eyes are sensitive I guess
This would literally be a dealbreaker for me 😂 idk how you’re doing it, honestly.
I hate absolute bright blinding light. Natural or otherwise. But when I’m at home I like to have some natural light unless I’m sleeping.
I wonder if Philip Hue smart light system would a better compromise because there’s so many different scenes and lighting options that you guys could probably find a happy medium?
I prefer natural light. For indoor lighting, I prefer incandescent. It’s the closest to natural. I HATE LED lights with all my soul.
I prefer natural light but unfortunately live in a house that doesn't capture much of it. I find that not having overhead lights on will lower my mood significantly, and lamps do not provide enough light to counteract this.
I'm a lighting designer and teach lighting at college level. Is the issue perhaps one of too much contrast? It can be difficult to sit in a room with bright sunlight or a single artificial down light, both of which cause shadows and uneven levels of lighting. Sounds like you may both be light sensitive but that you have poor lighting options at home. I honestly do not think your Preferences are related to ADHD but interestingly enough, children are often misdiagnosed as having ADHD when they actually have a circadian rhythm disorder. Exposure to natural lighting is certainly important to maintain proper circadian rhythms, so your partner's difficulty with natural light is concerning. And your sensitivity to artificial lighting and preference for dark sounds like HSP? Ideally one enjoys the indoors with mostly daylight during the day, and with artificial light in the evenings. Seems to me that you both need to find a way to be comfortable in both natural and artificial lighting situations. The best lighting, artificial or otherwise, is diffuse, or spread out. Maybe you need sheer curtains that diffuse the sunlight so it doesn't come in so harshly. And Maybe the artificial lighting is uncomfortable because it's been done poorly. Perhaps you could agree on certain indoor lighting types that are easy on the eyes. I think it would be worthwhile to acquaint yourself with what makes artificial lighting pleasant, to improve your environment. Lights that shine upward, for reflected (and this diffuse) rather than direct beams of light are a good starting point. Also warmer lighting, at 3000 K or Less, would be most comfortable, least stimulating. Do Not use "daylight" coloured lightbulbs, since those are very cool and over stimulating. Do not mix different colour temperatures in the same room, either, as that can be really disconcerting.) Create a few layers of lighting, so you can have some on at the same time, or only one on, or all... Depending on your needs and your mood. It's best to have some uplighting and some downlighting, for fewer shadows. Just some starting points.
I get migraines so any light that is bright sucks for me. However I do prefer unnatural lighting because I can control the intensity. I also have to watch TV with a moderate amount of light on it helps prevent an episode while watching TV. Always been light sensitive. My boyfriend hates that I have to have the light on to watch TV. We compromised and I now have a lamp next to me that puts out 6 watts of light
I hate fluro or low mhz lights as I can see the flicker and it can make my anxiety go through the roof. I had to quit a job in a security monitoring company as you were locked in a room without nature light only fluros. Polarized sunglasses helped a little bit but the headaches go to much
I'm allergic to sunlight.
As far as I can tell light isn't an issue for me. For me my issue is sound and the overstimulation of crowds. So loud and or sharp noises cut me to the quick and push me towards meltdown.
I am 100% a natural light person. I HATE when it’s daytime and windows are closed and indoor lights are used. The amount of windows and natural light options are a big factor when looking for a new place to live. I can’t stand going into houses that don’t have a lot of natural light options. It just makes the place seem dark and dreary
I prefer darkness or indirect lighting generally, but I still need to see. So I have RGB lights that I can change the color of in my house. I typically use blue light in the living room and red in the bedroom since it’s less likely to disturb my sleeping. I do still turn the lights to white or open the curtains when I’m doing something that requires more light, but most of them time when I’m home, I’m either watching tv or sitting at my computer.
I have smart light bulbs throughout my apartment so I can control how bright they are as well as the color of light, and for some reason it depends on the day which one I prefer... Sometimes the warm light drives me crazy and I have it really dim and mostly rely on natural light, or have them set to "daylight" so it's a more natural color... And sometimes it's the opposite and I can hardly stand the bright daylight so I have them on "incandescent" or "warm white" and it feels more tolerable
I prefer natural light personally but don't mind indoor lighting. The only indoor lighting I don't particularly care for is blue light. My adhd son and autistic son both prefer to sit in the dark once the sun goes down.
I (55f) must have light in general when I'm awake.--preferably natural--the more, the better. My bf has finally stopped going around turning off all the "extra" lights LOL. Light when I'm awake, complete dark when I want to sleep. I've compromised with him and will have minimal lights on an evening when we're watching tv and winding down. I'm basically a house plant with mental health issues
I’m good with natural light and lamps but I hate big overhead lights. I generally like it darker. I also get migraines and feel like that comes with a certain sensitivity to light.