Extended wear contact lenses are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for overnight wear without removal for seven to 30 days depending on the type of lenses prescribed. Generally, lenses are categorized as rigid, gas-permeable or soft. Soft lenses are optimal for extended wear and for sleeping in because the materials in them allow oxygen to reach the cornea.
Eye care practitioners may recommend removal of lenses to reduce the chance of infection no matter if the lenses are approved for extended wear or not. However, maintaining your contact lenses makes the difference in length of wear and eye health.
Step 1
Talk to your optometrist about proper use of lenses. Before sleeping in your contacts, make sure you know what type of lenses you wear and the recommended usage. The University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center explains that improper use of contacts results in corneal damage, infection and the inability to wear contacts at all.
Step 2
Clean lenses regularly. Proper cleansing helps maintain the life of the contact and prevents bacteria build up. Follow the manufacturers recommendation for cleaning lenses. All About Vision online notes that in addition to cleaning lenses according to directions, it is also important to recognize other elements that may expose your eyes to irritation, such as smoke.
Step 3
Use re-wetting drops. Over the counter re-wetting drops are useful for restoring moisture to your eyes after a night's sleep. Keep solution by your bedside for easy access and to decrease eye irritation and dryness. Only use the brand of solution recommended by your eye doctor because not all solutions are compatible with your brand of contact.
Step 4
Keep your fingers out of your eyes. Small particles of debris in your eye cause irritation. Do not jam your finger in your eye to retrieve the particle. This causes further irritation and may scratch your contact lenses.
Thoroughly wash your hands and have re-wetting drops available to drip into your eye. Wetting the eye often forces the particle out of the lenses without having to use your fingers. If this does not work, use your clean fingers to take the contact out and disinfect the lenses properly.
Step 5
Replace lenses as directed. For optimal use of lenses and comfort while sleeping in lenses, replace your contacts as recommended by your eye-care professional.
Tips and Warnings
- Small bottles of re-wetting solution are available for convenient carry. Keep solution handy to maintain eye moisture or for keeping debris particles from lingering in the eyes.
- Never share your contacts with another person. Harsh eye rubbing causes the lenses to dislodge from your eye. Pain around the eye, redness and vision disturbance may indicate that you have worn your lenses beyond the recommended time frame.
Things You'll Need
- Prescribed contact lenses
- Re-wetting eye drops
- Anti-bacterial hand soap
- Paper towels
- Container for lenses
