You’re not supposed to sleep in your contacts, but we know most of you have done it anyway (hopefully not on purpose). If you wake up with your contacts still in, don’t rush to take them out.
Photo by Niek Beck
Touching the contacts with your germy hands right away can increase the risk of infection, Greatist reports. When you sleep with your contacts in, your cornea swells just enough to open up gaps between the cells where bacteria (or even amoebas) can get in.
The swelling will go down once oxygen gets to the surface of your eyes. So instead of taking the lenses out right away, flood your eyes with drops and wait a few minutes before taking them out, when your eyes will be less vulnerable to infection.
Comments
2 responses to “What To Do If You’ve Slept In Your Contacts”
Then talk to your optometrist about air-optics day&night contact lenses.
I’ve slept with contact lenses in almost every night for the past 10 years.
Amen