Sleeping with contact lenses remains a bad habit, but very common. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States even reports that about one-third of contact lens wearers sleep or nap with them. If so many people are doing it, can’t it be that bad?
Well yes. “Sleeping with contact lenses is never a good idea, as it can increase the risk of corneal infection,” Jennifer Tsai OD, optometrist and founder of eyewear brand LINE OF SIGHT, told Allure. She explains that sleeping with your lenses on can cause bacteria to grow under the lens, much like in a petri dish.
Also, the cornea, which the National Eye Institute (NEI) defines as the clear outer layer at the front of the eye that allows you to see clearly, needs oxygen to survive. Dr. Adams explains that the cornea receives most of its oxygen when our eyes are open during waking hours. Although contact lenses are safe to wear when used correctly, she says they choke off the normal amount of oxygen the cornea usually receives. And at night, when you close your eyes for a long time, the oxygen supply is reduced by a third of what it normally receives when our eyes are open.
Eyes covered with lenses during sleep receive even less oxygen, which can lead to various problems. “Sleeping with contact lenses only leads to dry eyes at best. But in the worst case, you can develop serious infections on your cornea that cause scarring or, in rare cases, loss of vision,” warns Dr. Tsai. “When your eyelids are closed, the contact lens can prevent oxygen from reaching the cornea. This can cause hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, which leads to the risk of irritated red eyes, keratitis [ou irritation], or infections such as ulcers”. This is not very reassuring…
However, there are contact lenses specifically designed for extended wear, including overnight wear, but these are not necessarily suitable for everyone. These contact lenses are made of soft plastic which allows oxygen to pass to the cornea. You can wear them from one to six nights, or up to 30 days depending on their manufacture. If you want to learn more about these types of lenses, ask your doctor if they might be right for you and your lifestyle.
I forgot to remove my contact lenses before sleeping, what should I do?
Maybe you accidentally fell asleep watching Netflix or any other show, or maybe you just jumped into bed immediately after a wild night out. It doesn’t matter, it happens! Whatever the reason, falling asleep with your contact lenses on can happen one day or another. But even if it involves risks, there is no need to panic.
Dr. Tsai explains that your eyes may experience some dryness when you wake up. Before removing the lenses, the expert recommends adding a few drops of saline to moisturize your eyes, to help loosen them before removing them. She adds that you can try blinking a few times to get the tears flowing to moisten the lenses when you take them out, but using an eye solution is still your best bet. She adds that you will then need to continue using eye drops (about four to six times) throughout the day to keep your eyes hydrated.
Next, you’ll need to give your eyes a full day of rest so they can recover. The specialist recommends wearing glasses (if you have them) and advises being alert for potential signs of infection, including redness, discharge, pain, blurred vision, excessive tearing and sensitivity to light . In the event of a problem, immediately consult an ophthalmologist or your doctor, if a vision specialist is not available.