Safe to leave contacts in longer then the doctor says?

Question

The doctor told me that I can only leave my contacts in for 4 hours a day, increasing by 2 hours each day. Tomorrow I would like to wear them to school and it will be an 8 hour day, but I am only supposed to leave them in for 6 hours tomorrow. Would I really make a difference if I wore them tomorrow?

Also, they tell me NOT to sleep in them, or even take naps in them. Would it hurt to take a nap in them? Does it matter at all? I have Acuvue Oasis with hydroclear.

One last thing, I have worn my contacts 4 hours today, like they told me to, but I would like to wear them some more today. Could I also do this? I am looking for personal experience with contacts here, and it would be great if some one could answer my question. :)

Answer 1

Yeah, why bother listening to your doctor?  What does he know anyway?  Jeez.  Just do what your doctor tells you to do.

Answer 2

Follow your doctor's instructions. I wore soft contacts for 2+ years and if you leave them in longer than you should your eyes could hurt. You want to be nice to your eyes and let them gradually get used to the contacts. Don't nap in them, just like your Dr. said.

Answer 3

To tell you the truth, it probably won't matter too much. As long as your eyes are fairly comfortable with your contacts, you will be fine. Just take them out as soon as you get home. This time restriction is only to give your eyes time to adjust to the contacts. You will be fine.

For your second question, it is fine to take a nap. It is good that you're not sleeping in them, or you are likely to develop an infection. Your doctor most likely prescribed the Acuvue Oasys (which could poosibly be worn up to 6 nights in a row) just in case you do fall asleep; I prescribe extended wear contacts like these myself for the same reason. It is definitely fine if you nap, as these contacts could possibly be worn over night.

I would really recommend wearing your contacts for the prescribed amount as much as you can for the next few days. While you're at home, there is really no need for you to wear them, until your eyes have fully adjusted.

Good Luck

Answer 4

when i first got my contacts a looong time ago, they didn't put me on a weird time schedule like that. i don't think it would hurt to wear them all day. they never hurt me at all. but hey, i'm no doctor. but DON'T ever sleep in them.. it's bad news. if you sleep in them  and leave them in long enough the veins can like start growing over your contacts! and one of my friends kept hers on so long that when she finally did try to take one out, part of her eye came off with the contact cuz it stuck to it. so be very careful and take care of your eyes. :)

Answer 5

The doctor just gives you a general guideline to make sure your eyes have time to get used to the contacts. as long as your eyes aren't feeling really dry or itchy you should be fine.  Don't over-do it, like wearing them for 12 hours on the second day [trust me] but as long as your eyes feel good you should be okay.

as for sleeping in them..a nap shouldn't hurt much. the only reason you aren't supposed to is they tend to dry out while you're sleeping and that can irritate your eyes so if you do it, don't do it too often.

Answer 6

The idea behind building up your wear time is to get your eyes gradually accustomed to having something foreign in them.  If you are not having any irritation, dryness, rednesss, watery eyes, then you can stretch out the hours that you wear them. Keep your solution and case handy so if they do start to get uncomfortable, you can take them out.

Acuvue Oasys is a lens which is approved for napping in.  Make sure to be really good about cleaning your contact lenses if you are sleeping in them at all...otherwise you will have an increased risk of acquiring an infection.