I tracked my sunlight for 30 days. I was basically a vampire.

I always thought I got enough sun. "I go outside." "I take walks." "I'm fine." Then I actually tracked it.

The data was brutal:

• I thought I got 30-40 minutes a day. Reality: 12 minutes average.
• Weekdays: basically zero. I was a weekend-only sun person.
• Most of my "outdoor time" was walking to my car or grabbing coffee. Not real exposure.
• I was living like a vampire and had no idea.

What nobody told me

1. Going outside ≠ sunlight. Walking through shade, sitting by windows (UV doesn't pass through glass), quick errands — none of it counts.
2. Timing matters. Morning sun before 11am affects your circadian rhythm differently. Afternoon sun is fine but not the same.
3. Frequency beats duration. Three 10-minute outdoor sessions are better than one 30-minute walk.
4. Your brain can't track this. You literally cannot "feel" cumulative sun exposure. You'll always think you got more than you did.

So I built something

An app that tracks what actually matters:

• Total exposure time (from Apple Watch's daylight sensor)
• Number of sessions (encourages multiple breaks)
• Morning sunlight bonus
• A simple 0-100 score so you know where you stand
• No guessing. No "I think I went outside today?"

The Build

Two weeks. Zero coding experience. AI tools did the heavy lifting.

Then Apple rejected me 4 times:

• Privacy concerns
• "Physical Harm" (lol, sunlight is dangerous?)
• App Completeness (twice)
• Each rejection made it better. Shipped last week.

It's called SunshinePal
Free, no ads.

Download SunshinePal on App Store

If you're curious what your actual number is — it's probably lower than you think.

Ready to stop being a vampire? Learn more about SunshinePal.