All my 56 years I've loathed warm, sunny weather; as a boy, I did my utmost to resist my mother's entreaties to "get outside and enjoy the sun". But, this being the first summer since my Asperger diagnosis, I'm wondering if there's a sensory link between autism and the mental and physical breakdown I experience as temperatures climb and sunlight becomes more intense.
I'm not talking about really hot weather that gets nearly everyone down. Anything above a daytime 20C is uncomfortable for me - and at night I need my bedroom much cooler than that. But, since the age of 40, I've had chronic insomnia and must keep all windows and curtains closed to block out traffic noise and light. Around midnight last night, I was wrapping gaffer tape around the disintegrating exhaust pipe of my twelve year-old air conditioner. But even with that working and another fan blowing directly on me all night I was still too hot to sleep.
A few years ago, I was also diagnosed with rosacea, which is rarer in men but often more serious. The GP cheerfully showed me web photos of advanced rosacea cases resembling elephantitis. He also told me that - while rosacea can have any number of triggers - the most likely one is sunlight, and I should use maximum suncream even in winter.
So, I'm wondering if there are lots of other autistics who (beyond the usual sleeping difficulties in really hot weather) have similar sun-related problems?