Sleeping in Contacts

One of my pet peeves as a cornea specialist is sleeping in contact lenses. When contact lenses are in, movement of the eye and blinking of the eyelids causes the contact lens to move around (as long as the contact lens fits properly). If the eye is not moving and the eyelids are not blinking, this movement is diminished, and there is relative stasis of the tear film that increases the chance of infection. This is what happens when sleeping. That is why I advise against any contact lens wear while sleeping. “But these are supposed to be safe to sleep in!” Many patients have been told somewhere along the line that there are “Night and Day” contact lenses that are safe to sleep in. In my opinion, there is no contact lens in the world that is safe to sleep in, and I strongly recommend that people not take the chance of getting an infection.