Reduces 3-sulfolactaldehyde (SLA) to 2,3-dihydroxypropane 1-sulfonate (DHPS) (PubMed:24463506, Ref.6). Metabolite profiling studies showed that the enzyme also catalyzes in vitro the NADH-dependent reduction of succinic semialdehyde (SSA) to 4-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), and that it could be involved in the metabolism of SSA, and other potentially toxic intermediates that may accumulate under stress conditions (PubMed:19372223). However, the enzyme exhibits a 42,000-fold greater catalytic efficiency for the reduction of SLA over SSA (Ref.6). Shows no detectable activity on the analogous glycolytic intermediate glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (Ref.6). (2S)-3-sulfopropanediol + NAD(+) = (2S)-3-sulfolactaldehyde + H(+) + NADH 4-hydroxybutanoate + NAD(+) = H(+) + NADH + succinate semialdehyde Inhibited by the NADH analogs tetrahydro-NADH and hexahydro-NADH. kcat is 332 sec(-1) with 3-sulfolactaldehyde as substrate. kcat is 548 sec(-1) with NADH as substrate. Homotetramer (PubMed:19372223, Ref.6). Dimer of dimers (Ref.6). Induced during growth with sulfoquinovose. Deletion mutant displays reduced tolerance to the cytotoxic effects of exogenous addition of succinic semialdehyde. Belongs to the HIBADH-related family. 3-sulfolactaldehyde reductase subfamily.