Aversive light sensitivity and aging: Implications for sleep and health in older adults

The current digital survey study investigated the role of aversive visual light sensitivity (AVLS) in sleep and health in a sample of 425 community-dwelling older adults (75.5 % female, mean age = 68.9 ± 5.6). Respondents who reported photophobia or eye diseases/surgery were excluded. The Visual Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire (VLSQ-8) was used to quantify the AVLS symptoms. The distribution of the VLSQ-8 scores indicated prevalence of mild AVLS symptoms in the sample, with median close to the lower end of the scale (median = 14, IQR = 9, scale range 8–40). Females reported significantly higher VLSQ-8 scores (16.20 ± 6.19) than males (13.36 ± 4.83). Based on the median cut-off, participants were classified into HighVisSens and LowVisSens categories. The HighVisSens group reported significantly later sleep timing (p = 0.045), poorer subjective sleep quality (p = 0.002), more nocturnal awakenings (p = 0.017), longer sleep latency (p = 0.009), higher symptoms of daytime sleepiness (p < 0.001), lower physical and mental health scores (p < 0.001), and more frequent headaches (p < 0.001). No group differences were found for sleep duration or social jetlag. Binary logistic regression revealed that female gender, later chronotype, greater daytime sleepiness, lower mental health, and increased headache frequency significantly predicted HighVisSens group membership (χ²(20) = 86.59, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that non-clinical levels of AVLS symptoms are linked to poorer sleep, delayed sleep timing, and reduced health in older adults. The self-reported symptoms of AVLS may help quantify the neurological and circadian effects of light in the field studies through questionnaires. Addressing aversive visual light sensitivity through interventions could potentially improve multiple aspects of wellbeing in older adults.