What happens if you regularly sleep in contact lenses

Falling asleep in contact lenses and waking up the next morning with a feeling of sand in the eyes is a classic genre among those who have poor eyesight. The question arises: how critical is it and what can it lead to?

ophthalmologist of the Eye Microsurgery Center “I See”

At night, a closed eyelid blocks the access of oxygen to the eye.

The situation is quite different in the case of sleeping at night. Despite the fact that modern lenses are breathable, at night the access of oxygen is reduced – the lenses limit its penetration through the eyelids closed during sleep. Why does this happen?

Elena: Hydrogel and silicone hydrogel have a very low level of gas permeability – it is this property that allows oxygen to penetrate and air to pass through. During the day, when the eye is open, the eyeball has enough air. But at night, a closed eyelid blocks oxygen from reaching the eye. Plus the hydrogel layer in the form of a lens provokes hypoxia – oxygen deprivation syndrome.

In the morning, the eyeball will look red and irritated, which will make it difficult to use contact lenses for vision correction again. If you systematically sleep in lenses that are not designed for long-term wear, it can lead to chronic dry eyes and sensitivity to bright light.

But swelling and inflammation of the eye membrane are the most harmless complications that can be caused by sleeping in lenses. Among other things, it threatens the development of dry eye syndrome, conjunctivitis due to poor hygiene, allergic reactions and even such a disease of the cornea as keratitis.

What about night “hard” lenses?

Elena: They are made of rigid polymeric materials and have 100% gas permeability, i.e. they provide oxygen access to the eyes even with the eyelid down. It is the rigidity of the material that allows to provide therapeutic effect – it gives the inner surface of the lenses a special shape, which will allow to change the shape of the cornea and thus improve vision. The patient puts the lenses on in the evening, removes them in the morning and sees perfectly all day without glasses. Night orthokeratology lenses are a great alternative to glasses and soft contact lenses, as they do not cause dry eyes and provide a long-lasting effect.

No matter how tired you are, don’t forget to remove your contact lenses at night. And if you accidentally fall asleep in them and notice something wrong, you can always seek medical advice. And now you can do it online.