We know we shouldn’t drop off to sleep in our contacts, however like “accidentally” eating some expired pesto or “accidentally” popping a zit, sometimes it just takes place. Late nights occur. Naps take place.
Can You Take a Nap in Your Contact Lenses?
However after hearing reports of people going blind as an outcome, we started to fret. And from investigating and speaking to experts, we realized we may really have need to.
So, you ask “can I take a short nap with my contacts in?” Let’s find the answer with argumentation. As the body’s only type of transparent tissue, the cornea gets its oxygen exclusively from the air. That suggests that when you put in contact lenses, the oxygen supply decreases a bit, and when you close your eyes, the supply lessens more. When you integrate the two, the oxygen can be critically decreased.
Without oxygen, the cornea inflates — not a cartoonish, popping-out-of-your-head amount, however enough so that gaps appear between the eye’s surface cells, where bacteria can sneak in. This bacteria may increase your risk of eye infection by almost sevenfold. And since the eye does not have the body’s same body immune system protection, things can turn bad quick.
If that weren’t enough, the lenses can work like a Petri dish. So if there’s any bacteria on your lenses (typical culprit: a lens case that’s seen much better days), you’re essentially holding them right versus your eye.
Gross and frightening as this sounds, a 15-minute nap in your contacts should be OK, right? The swelling starts immediately and continues as long as your eyelids are closed, so the longer you sleep (state a complete eight hours versus 15 minutes), the riskier the game.
When you wear contacts, every blink versus them produces a tiny abrasion.
Oversleeping contacts likewise tinkers your eyes in the long run. We blink about 3 million times a year, and when you wear contacts, every blink against them produces a tiny abrasion. Over time, the eyelid’s inner lining ends up being rougher from all the rubbing, keeping it from reaching the very same levels of lubrication. Include the inflammation from using your contacts to bed, and it just intensifies the issue.
That means most everybody’s essentially predestined for drier, more allergy – and infection-prone eyes, and those who sleep in their contacts boost their risk of one day not being able to wear lenses at all. The “shocked” emoji basically accomplishes.
What to Do If You Sometimes Have to Nap with Daily Contacts in?
Delaying your nap by 30 seconds to get your contacts deserves it — as is doing your best to avoid oversleeping them, or asking your doctor about lenses that are FDA-approved for over night wear. Otherwise, if you absolutely must oversleep your lenses (long flights on an aircraft, unexpected pajama parties, that example), keep in mind to flood your eyes with drops upon awakening. Hands off the contacts up until then — prying a persistent lens out can possibly scratch your cornea, leaving you with lasting damage on top of the kind already done by dozing.
