Computer settings for light sensitivity

Updated 2026-11-02

Quick answerLight sensitivity at a computer usually improves first with lower brightness matched to the room, then darker themes and less motion. Warm night modes are optional. Evidence quality varies; none of this replaces clinical care for severe or sudden symptoms.
Not medical advice. Migraine Mode is a screen-comfort tool, not a medical device. It does not diagnose or treat disease. When to see a doctor.

OS

  1. Lower brightness; avoid ultra-low PWM flicker if you notice it.
  2. Enable dark mode; Night Light/Night Shift moderate if helpful.

Browser

  1. Site dark themes + optional Migraine Mode.
  2. Block autoplay; reduce animations.

Why screens provoke discomfort

  • Large bright fields.
  • Temporal flicker from PWM or content.
  • High-contrast patterns.

See also

  • /light-sensitivity/ evidence hub.
  • /symptoms/photophobia/ checklist.

FAQ

Should I use zero brightness?

No. Match the room; too dark raises contrast strain for some people (display luminance research).

Is blue-light blocking required?

Not proven as migraine prevention; optional evening comfort.

Sources

  • Main A, Vlachonikolis I, Dowson A. The wavelength of light causing photophobia in migraine and tension-type headache between attacks. Headache 2000;40(3):194–199. Link
  • Investigation of the optimum display luminance of an LCD screen under different ambient illuminances in the evening. Applied Sciences, 2021. Link
  • Noseda R, … Burstein R. Migraine photophobia originating in cone-driven retinal pathways. Brain, 2016. Link
  • The Migraine Trust. Migraine and light. Link

Not a medical device and not medical advice. Migraine Mode is a screen-comfort tool: it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent migraine or any other condition, and it does not replace a doctor. Its settings are based on studies of light, colour, flicker, patterns and motion; the extension itself has not been clinically tested. When to see a doctor.