Sleeping With Contacts

If you wear contacts lenses, you’ve probably done this at least once in your life. You’re at a party or staying over a friend’s place and whether you get home super late and pass out before you get ready for bed, or you forgot to pack your contact lens solution and carrying case – chances are you’ve probably slept in your contacts. “So what?” you think. “It can’t be that bad, right? One time won’t kill me.” 

Well, in reality, it is indeed very bad for your eyes.

Sleeping with contacts can be equated to sleeping with a plastic bag over your head. When you are awake, your eyes can get oxygen from the air and from your tears. When you are sleeping, your eyes are closed and you are not blinking, which limits the amount of oxygen that is transmitted to your eyes. Wearing contacts while sleeping is essentially like putting a plastic shield in between your eyes and your eyelids, where limited oxygen flow is already happening.

Still not convinced? Here are a few more reasons you should take them out before you go to sleep.

Did you know that when you don’t take your contacts out for a prolonged period of time, your eyes can develop what is called “corneal neovascularization?” Due to a lack of oxygen to your eyes, your blood vessels begin to swell and grow too much. If this is the case, your eye doctor might decide to stop prescribing and fitting you for contacts. They may also decide to fit you with gas permeable-only, hard contact lenses. One additional condition that can arise from a lack of oxygen to your eyes is known as corneal microcysts or “hypoxia.”

If you wear your contacts to sleep, chances are you might also wear your contacts longer than prescribed. This is another no-no. If you do this, you can cause one of two things to happen. The first is developing micro tears in your cornea from misshapen and old contacts. The second is the harboring of a pathogen or germ between your contact and your cornea.

This can even result in one of the most serious complications, which is known as a corneal ulcer (this one is gross). A corneal ulcer is an eruption on the cornea that is caused by an infection. This can lead to blindness. Symptoms of corneal ulcers include vision changes, eye discomfort or pain, eye redness and excessive tearing. If an aggressive microbe causes your corneal ulcer, you could lose your vision permanently, with the resulting scar requiring a corneal transplant.

Is it really worth your vision to sleep in your contacts?

There are however, certain contact lenses that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for limited nighttime wear. Check with your eye doctor to see if you can be fitted for these contacts that you actually can sleep in. Although it may be safe to sleep with this type of contact lens, you should still be aware of the risks that can result from not taking your lenses out when you go to sleep at night. You are resting your body when you sleep; why not give your eyes a rest too?

If you have any questions about which contacts will best suit your lifestyle and sleeping habits, or are suffering from the symptoms of sleeping with contacts, come down to your local Site for Sore Eyes. We’d be delighted to help you solve your eye-related issues and give you tips on how to keep your eyes safe while wearing contacts.