Can I Sleep In My Contacts?
A lot of contact lens wearers have fallen asleep in their contacts at least once.
Sometimes it happens after a late night, a long shift at work, studying, traveling, or simply being too exhausted to remember to take them out before bed.
Honestly, a lot of people don’t even realize how uncomfortable their eyes will feel until they wake up the next morning with lenses that feel dry, blurry, scratchy, or almost stuck to their eyes.
Let’s break down what to do if this happens and why Blue Planet Optics (and most eye doctors) recommend never sleeping in your contact lenses.
Why Sleeping In Contact Lenses Can Be Risky
Your eyes need oxygen to stay healthy.
During the day, oxygen reaches your cornea directly from the air around you. Contact lenses already reduce oxygen flow because they sit directly on the eye's surface.
When you sleep, your eyes are closed for hours, tear production decreases, blinking stops, and oxygen levels naturally drop even more. Sleeping in contacts adds another layer over the eye during that process.
That combination is why overnight wear can increase the risk of:
- Dryness
- Redness
- Irritation
- Corneal swelling
- Inflammation
- Scratches on the eye
- Corneal ulcers
- Eye infections
If you’re thinking, “I’ve slept in my contacts before and nothing happened,” this can absolutely be true. It doesn’t usually happen after 1 incident of sleeping in them.
The buildup effects of chronically sleeping in your contact lenses are typically where the problems arise.
Why Contacts Feel So Bad After Sleeping
If you have ever woken up after sleeping in contacts and felt like your lenses were glued to your eyes, there is a reason for that.
While you sleep, your eyes produce fewer tears; you are not blinking to keep the lenses lubricated, so that the lenses can dry out against the eye's surface, and tear film stability changes overnight.
That dryness is why lenses often feel:
- Tight
- Stiff
- Scratchy
- Foggy
- Difficult to remove
Some people also notice their vision feels hazy or filmy for a while after waking up.
Can Sleeping In Contacts Cause Blindness?
Severe contact lens infections can cause vision loss if they go untreated.
This is why eye doctors take overnight lens wear seriously.
Sleeping in contact lenses increases the risk of infections such as microbial keratitis, an infection of the cornea. Some infections can progress very quickly if ignored.
That does not mean everyone who naps in contact lenses is going to experience permanent vision loss. Most people who accidentally fall asleep in lenses wake up with temporary dryness or irritation.
However, pain, extreme redness, discharge, light sensitivity, swelling, or worsening vision should never be ignored.
Which Contacts Are Approved For Sleeping?
Some contact lenses are FDA-approved for overnight or extended wear.
These lenses are usually made from specific materials that allow more oxygen to reach the eye compared to older hydrogel lenses.
Some commonly prescribed overnight wear lenses include:
However, just because a lens is approved for overnight wear does not automatically mean your eyes are good candidates for sleeping in them.
Some people’s eyes tolerate overnight wear much better than others. Your eye doctor usually looks at things like:
- Dry eye tendencies
- Oxygen needs
- Corneal health
- Tear quality
- Previous irritation or infection history
Many eye doctors still prefer that patients remove lenses nightly whenever possible, even if the lenses technically allow overnight wear. Check with your eye doctor before sleeping in your contact lenses, even if you’re prescribed one of the lenses listed above.
Can You Sleep In Daily Contacts?
No. Daily disposable contacts are not meant to be slept in.
Daily lenses are designed to be worn once and then thrown away at night.
Are Monthly Contacts Safer To Sleep In?
Not necessarily.
Some monthly contacts are FDA-approved for overnight or extended wear, but not all are.
A lot of people assume that if a lens is monthly, you can safely sleep in it, but that is not necessarily true. The replacement schedule alone does not determine whether a lens is approved for overnight wear.
The actual lens material and FDA approval matter much more.
Some silicone hydrogel monthly lenses allow significantly more oxygen to reach the eyes, which is why certain lenses are approved for sleeping in for limited periods of time. But even with those lenses, you are still not supposed to leave them in continuously for an entire month straight.
Even extended wear lenses usually need to be removed after a few nights so the eyes can rest and the lenses can be cleaned or replaced, depending on the specific lens and your eye doctor’s recommendations.
In reality, a lot of eye doctors still prefer patients remove their contacts nightly because sleeping in lenses still carries more infection risk than taking them out before bed, even with lenses approved for overnight wear.
Can You Sleep In Acuvue Oasys?
The bi-weekly versions of Acuvue Oasys are FDA-approved for overnight wear for up to 6 nights and 7 days, depending on your eye doctor’s recommendation.
A lot of people choose Acuvue Oasys because the lens material is highly breathable and tends to stay comfortable longer than older lenses.
Even then, many eye doctors still encourage daily removal when possible because overnight wear still carries additional infection risk compared to taking lenses out nightly.
Can You Sleep In Biofinity Contacts?
Biofinity lenses are another commonly prescribed extended wear lens.
Biofinity is made from a silicone hydrogel material called Comfilcon A, which allows a relatively high amount of oxygen transmission to the eye.
Some patients are approved to sleep in Biofinity lenses temporarily or occasionally, but overnight wear recommendations always depend on the individual person and their eye health.
What Happens If I Accidentally Sleep In My Contacts?
Usually people wake up with:
- Dryness
- Blurry vision
- Mild redness
- Lens awareness
- Tightness
A lot of the time, symptoms improve after removing the lenses and letting your eyes rest.
If your eyes become extremely painful, very red, sensitive to light, swollen, producing discharge, or suddenly blurry, you should contact an eye doctor immediately.
Should I Remove My Contacts Right Away After Sleeping?
Not if they feel stuck.
Instead:
- Blink several times first
- Use lubricating eye drops if needed
- Remove them gently afterward
Your lenses should be easier to remove after they’ve had some moisture added back in from blinking or eye drops.
Why Do My Eyes Turn Red After Sleeping In Contacts?
Redness usually happens because the eye becomes irritated from:
- Reduced oxygen
- Dryness
- Inflammation
- Friction from the lens
Sometimes redness fades fairly quickly after lens removal.
Persistent redness is more concerning, especially if paired with pain or light sensitivity.
Is It Worse To Sleep In Old Contacts?
Yes.
Sleeping in lenses that are already overdue for replacement can increase risk even more because deposits, protein buildup, and bacteria accumulation tend to increase over time.
For example:
- Sleeping in monthly lenses for months beyond replacement is much riskier than sleeping in fresh lenses
- Poor cleaning habits increase risk further
- Old contact lens cases can also harbor bacteria
Can You Sleep In Colored Contacts?
Most eye doctors strongly recommend avoiding sleeping in colored contacts.
Especially cosmetic lenses purchased online without proper fitting or prescriptions.
Poorly fitted cosmetic lenses can reduce oxygen flow even more and increase irritation risk significantly.
Why Do Contacts Sometimes Feel Better After A Nap?
Oddly enough, some people say their contacts feel temporarily “refreshed” after a short nap.
Usually, that happens because the eyes were irritated beforehand from dryness or screen fatigue, and resting the eyes briefly helped temporarily reset comfort.
That does not necessarily mean the contacts benefited from being slept in. Taking your contacts out and then taking a nap can help your eyes feel refreshed but mitigate risk of infection.
Can I Shower With Contacts And Then Sleep In Them?
That combination increases risk even more.
Water exposure plus overnight wear is something to avoid at all costs because water can introduce harmful microorganisms to the lenses.
That includes:
- Showers
- Pools
- Hot tubs
- Lakes
- Oceans
Sleeping in your contact lenses after exposing them to bacteria in the water can literally “suction cup” the harmful bacteria to your eye. Always remove your contact lenses after they’ve been exposed to water and never sleep in them afterward.
What Are Corneal Ulcers?
Corneal ulcers are one of the more serious complications associated with contact lens misuse.
They are essentially open sores or infections on the cornea.
Symptoms can include:
- Severe pain
- Extreme redness
- Discharge
- Blurry vision
- Light sensitivity
- Feeling like something is stuck in the eye
Corneal ulcers require immediate medical attention.
Can Sleeping In Contacts Cause Headaches?
Sometimes.
Dryness, irritation, swelling, or blurry vision from overnight wear can occasionally contribute to headaches or eye strain the next day.
How Long Can You Safely Wear Contacts In A Day?
This depends heavily on the lens type, your eye health, tear quality, environment, screen time, dryness tendencies.
Some people comfortably wear contacts for 12 to 14 hours. Others become uncomfortable much sooner. It totally depends on your eyes and lifestyle.
What Should You Do After Sleeping In Contacts?
If you accidentally sleep in your contacts:
- Remove lenses gently
- Give your eyes a break
- Wear glasses temporarily
- Throw away daily lenses afterward
- Monitor for worsening symptoms
Signs You Should Call An Eye Doctor Immediately
Seek medical attention if you experience:
- Severe pain
- Extreme redness
- Sudden blurry vision
- Light sensitivity
- Discharge
- Swelling
- A white spot on the eye
- Symptoms getting worse instead of better
FAQ
Can sleeping in contacts scratch your eye?
Yes. If contact lenses become very dry overnight, they can sometimes stick more tightly to the surface of the eye. Trying to remove dry lenses too quickly can irritate the cornea or occasionally cause small scratches on the eye.
Are silicone hydrogel contacts safer for sleeping?
They generally allow more oxygen to pass through to the eye compared to older hydrogel materials, which is why many overnight-approved lenses use silicone hydrogel materials. However, not all silicone hydrogel lenses are approved for overnight wear.
Can sleeping in contacts permanently damage your eyes?
Severe infections or complications potentially can, which is why recurring overnight wear should be discussed with your eye doctor.
What is the safest contact lens for sleeping?
There is no universally safest lens because every eye is different. Your eye doctor will determine whether overnight wear is appropriate for your eyes specifically.
Can you sleep in contacts during a flight?
A lot of people accidentally do, especially on long flights. It is not recommended to sleep in your contact lenses even for short period. Airplanes are already very drying environments, so lenses often feel especially uncomfortable afterward.
Should I switch to glasses if I keep falling asleep in contacts?
Some people choose daily disposable lenses, shorter wear times, or glasses at night if they frequently accidentally fall asleep in their contacts.