What kind of contacts can you sleep in

Shop Contact Lenses. I also agree to the Privacy Policy. Toggle Nav. My Account Sign In. My Cart. Free delivery. Find a Store. Book Eye Exam. Language For Eyes. How can you treat your eyes after sleeping with contacts? Contact lenses collect all kinds of germs and debris during the day. Rapid eye movement during sleep can make things even worse, says Samuel D. You have no idea what that contact lens has come into contact with, which would be spending the night in your eye.

The six patients in the report practiced other bad habits, as well. Two wore contacts without prescriptions including a man who wore decorative lenses. One of those bought her lenses at a chain store, while another woman refilled her prescription and bought her lenses online. One patient both slept and swam in his lenses; the particular organisms cultured from his eyes also indicated he may have doused his contacts in tap water.

Of course, not everyone who sleeps in their contacts is going to end up with a corneal transplant, but everyone who wears contact lenses should follow certain protocols to make sure that never happens.

Place several drops of sterile contact solution in your eyes, blink, and try again. The extra lubrication should help dislodge them. If you notice any of the symptoms of infection, contact your eye doctor immediately. The Cleveland Clinic recommends that you see your physician or eye doctor right away if you notice any of these symptoms:.

If you think you have an eye infection, put your contact lens in a plastic container, and bring it to the eye doctor so it can be tested. Because lenses come into contact with the sensitive tissues of your eyeball, the American Academy of Ophthalmology advises that you observe these precautions:. Sleeping in contact lenses is dangerous because it drastically increases your risk of eye infection.

If you do fall asleep with them in, remove them as soon as you can, and let your eye recover for a day before wearing lenses again. Practice good contact lens hygiene to protect yourself from infection. If you notice any of the signs of infection, see a doctor right away so that you can treat the problem before serious damage occurs. Some supplements may improve eye health, though more research is needed. Here's what to do for eye…. Some EW lenses are approved for up to 30 days of continuous wear.

Extended wear gas permeable lenses also are available. It's important to note that these are the maximum recommended wearing schedules. Many people cannot tolerate wearing EW lenses for this length of time, and some people's eyes cannot tolerate any overnight wear of contact lenses. During your contact lens fitting and follow-up, your eye doctor will advise you whether you can wear EW contacts overnight and how many days of continuous wear your eyes can tolerate.

Research has shown that the risk of eye infections is higher among people who sleep while wearing contact lenses. Wearing contact lenses continually day and night increases this risk because bacteria and other potentially dangerous microorganisms can adhere to the lenses and get trapped between the lenses and your eyes.

These microbes thrive in the warm, moist environment under your contact lenses, especially when your eyelids are closed during sleep. And because contact lenses reduce the oxygen supply to the front surface of your eyes corneas , your eyes are less able to fight off corneal infections. Contact lens-related infections can range from an annoying case of pink eye to more serious conditions such as Acanthamoeba keratitis and fungal eye infections that can cause permanent vision loss.