Is it Bad if I Sleep in My Contact Lenses?

So… is it bad if I sleep in my contact lenses?

The simple answer to this question is “YES.” In fact, sleeping in your contact lenses is one of the riskiest things you can do as a contact lens wearer.

Why You Should Never Sleep in Your Contact Lenses

Sleeping in contacts can increase the incidence of contracting an eye infection by six to eight times. These infections can be:

• bacterial
• viral
• fungal
• or parasitic

Other Risks

Other risks include the development of a corneal abrasion (a scratch on the eye) or a corneal ulcer (on open sore on the cornea). Not only are these conditions painful, they may also require surgery and become a threat to vision.

Infections can accompany these conditions making treatment challenging. Symptoms include:

Other Things to Avoid When Using Contact Lenses

Other bad contact lens hygiene habits include:

• swimming or bathing with your contacts in
• cleaning contacts with tap water
• not properly washing your hands before handling contacts
• reusing contact lens solution

All of these habits can produce the types of eye emergencies described and should be treated by an Opthalmologist or Eye MD immediately.