Although contact lenses are suitable for the ones who wear glasses, they still have a limit for wearing. Contact lenses benefit someone who can't see clearly and has weak eyesight. Also, the vision it gives is better than the glasses, but it is essential to take care of this matter and be careful. One should never sleep with their contacts on as it is quite risky and can cause infections and problems in the eye. Below, we will discuss what happens if someone sleeps with their contact lenses on.

Can you sleep with contact lenses on

Well, the answer is no. Doctors say that sleeping with contacts on is risky and can result in quite a few problems for the eye even though the lenses are made such that they are wearable for an excellent period but only during the day and not at night. Issues faced by wearing lenses at night or while sleeping are described below.

Not enough oxygen

Remember that the eyes also require oxygen, which it mostly gets while the person is awake. You can wear contacts while working or throughout the day, but taking care of them and using them correctly is essential. The eye closing while sleeping means the eyes are getting less oxygen, which is about one-third of what it gets, and if you sleep with contact lenses, even less oxygen will reach the eyes, which is not suitable for you. An eye not receiving enough oxygen can cause several problems, and the person will feel pain in the eyes.

Infection in the eyes

Wearing eye contact lenses during sleep can develop several problems. One can fall for an eye infection, and bacteria can also form, which causes irritation and pain in the eyes. It is the worst situation as the person feels restless and can't see correctly. The eyes are closed while sleeping, which can help the bacteria to spread.

Eye dryness

The eye needs a lot of care, and lenses are not meant to be worn 24/7. Wearing contact lenses for too long can cause itching, mainly caused by dryness, as the lens vanishes the moisture, dehydrating the eye. The humidity is essential, so you may have noticed a tear in the eye even when you are not crying and you wipe it away. It is the bacteria, and it comes in a tear form, which goes out of the eye when it is wiped; wearing lenses can block the tear, which makes the bacteria remain in the eye, mainly while sleeping.

Blurring and swelling

As we have discussed, wearing lenses while sleeping lacks the oxygen that reaches the eye, which can result in swelling in the eyes. The person will also feel blurring and lack of vision due to swelling of the cornea. In this situation, try to avoid sitting in a room with bright light as the person will feel irritation from the rays of light.

In addition, Wearing lenses while washing your face or bathing while the contacts are in your eyes is not a good idea—the chemicals in the face wash or the soap harm contact lenses.

Care to avoid the problems.

Some people wear contacts daily, and some only wear them on special occasions. Still, it has been noticed that they forget to take them off at the end of the day and fall asleep with them, as you may not want to end up in a situation like a woman who forgets to take off her lenses and ends up having 20 lenses in her eyes at a time. Well, that's risky, and To avoid all these problems caused by wearing contact lenses, it is necessary to take them off before going to bed and not sleep with contacts on.

Remember that it is imperative to care about contact lenses and keep them clean to lower the risk of wearing them for an extended period and be safe for eye infections and problems. Having dirty contacts on or wearing contact lenses that haven't been cleaned thoroughly in a long time can result in itching in the eye and redness. Because when you wear contact lenses all day, they have to go through several things, such as pollution, dirt, etc. So always clean the contact lenses with the solution and rub them gently for purification.

What if I accidentally fall asleep with contact on

Even a little nap is not recommended when having contacts on, but in some situations, the person accidentally crashes on the bed and misses taking the lenses off. In that case, the person may wake up with swollen eyes and redness in the eyes. In that case, try to contact a doctor and act accordingly. Also, it will be a little hard to take the contacts off directly when you wake up, and the reason can be dryness as the lenses soak the moisture. It is better to put some eye drops, which help to regain the water. Remember to wait to wear contact lenses until the eyes are fully received from the mess created by the overnight wearing of lenses. The vision should be completely normal to put the contact lens on again, with no redness and itching.

Final words

Now, you are aware of the fact that one should never wear contact lenses while sleeping. The eye is a delicate part that needs some extra attention and care, so make sure you clean the lenses before wearing them to avoid any risk caused by the lens. It is better not to show carelessness; otherwise, you may have redness, itching, dryness, and swelling eyes. In a case like that, contact an eye doctor immediately and follow their instructions. In addition, we suggest wearing lenses only some of the time or regularly for months. Try to use your glasses as well to give some rest to the eye from the lenses.