Can You Take Naps With Soft Contact Lenses?

If you wear contact lenses, chances are that you will fall asleep with your lenses in your eyes. When you awake, your eyes will be dry and your lenses will often be difficult to remove.

FDA Approved

• Edward S. Bennett, Executive Director of the GP (gas permeable) Lens Institute at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Optometry says that contact lens wearers can sleep or nap in FDA approved lenses. These lenses must be designated as extended wear and the individual's eye doctor must indicate that it is safe for the wearer to do so.

Three Types of Contact Lenses

• The three types of contact lenses are gas permeable, hard lenses and soft lenses.

History of Extended Wear Lenses

• In 1981, the FDA approved some contact lenses for up to 30 days of continuous wear. It changed its report to seven days because so many infections were reported. Many eye care physicians, however, still required their patients to remove lenses before sleeping.

Today's Extended Wear Lenses

• Silicone hydrogel and other new materials being used to make some soft contact lenses allow more oxygen to reach the cornea.

Infections

• Check with your doctor

  Even with recent innovations in contact lenses, more infections are still possible in extended wear lenses. Extended wear lenses must be discarded when the designated time has been reached.