IS IT SAFE TO SLEEP WITH MY CONTACT LENSES?
Contact lenses are very comfortable these days, and this is precisely why they are so popular. Contact lenses are so comfortable that we sometimes forget to take them off when we go to sleep. But is it safe to sleep with your contact lenses?
Sleep and contact lenses, are they a safe combo?
It is not safe to sleep with your contact lenses because your contact lenses are directly on your cornea, and that your eyelids are closed, your cornea is cut off from the oxygen. While you sleep, you don’t blink; therefore, oxygen isn’t circulating via the tear secretion between your contact lenses and your cornea.
If your cornea doesn’t get enough oxygen, it is dangerous for your eye. Most of the time, the eyes will become red and feel sore when you wake up. Sometimes even the conjunctiva will swell. Contact lenses can then adhere to your eye with various annoying consequences for your cornea.
What to do if you fell asleep with contact lenses?
Put some lens solution or saline in your eyes and wait a few minutes for your contact lenses to soften. Then you can gently remove your contact lenses. Forcefully removing them could damage your cornea, which could lead to infections.
Also, it is best to wear glasses for a while so that your eyes can rest.
What about a nap?
A 30 to 45-minute nap is not an issue. Your eyes may be a little drier when you wake up, but this will pass.
