No, it is generally not safe to sleep with contact lenses.
Sleeping with contacts, even for a short nap, significantly increases your risk of eye infections and other complications. Here's why:
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Reduced Oxygen Flow: Contact lenses reduce the amount of oxygen that reaches your cornea (the clear front part of your eye). When you're awake, your eyes are open, and oxygen can reach the cornea more easily. When you sleep, your eyes are closed, further restricting oxygen flow. Contact lenses exacerbate this issue, potentially leading to corneal hypoxia (oxygen deprivation).
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Increased Risk of Infection: Bacteria and other microorganisms can accumulate on contact lenses during the day. When you sleep with your lenses in, these microorganisms are trapped against your eye for an extended period, creating a breeding ground for infection.
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Corneal Ulcers: Prolonged contact lens wear, especially during sleep, can increase the risk of developing corneal ulcers, which are open sores on the cornea. These ulcers can be painful and, in severe cases, can lead to vision loss.
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Dry Eyes: Contact lenses can reduce tear flow, leading to dry eyes. Sleeping with lenses in makes this worse.
Even if you occasionally fall asleep with your contacts in, it's crucial to remove them as soon as you wake up and clean them thoroughly.
In summary, while accidentally napping with contacts once in a while may not cause immediate harm, it significantly elevates the risk of complications and should be avoided whenever possible. If there's a chance you might sleep, removing your contacts beforehand is the safest course of action.
