By Ann Gould 

Contact lenses should be always be removed before sleeping is the advice given by expert Dr Iain Anderson to the Daily Mail this week. But a new type of corrective contact lens which is designed especially to only be worn at night is an exception to this rule.

Dr Iain Anderson, chairman of the Eyecare Trust, told the Daily Mail that all contact lenses should be removed before sleeping, even the latest generation silicone hydrogel lenses.

He explained that this enables the wearers to clean them and also allows oxygen to reach the cells in the eyes.

"Sleeping in lenses increases the risk of eye infections, keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) and corneal abrasions," Dr Anderson explained.

However this does not apply to overnight vision corrective contact lenses. The difference with this type of lens is that it is only worn at night and not during the day. So the eyes are able to absorb oxygen naturally all day long.

Traditional daytime disposable lenses are worn up to 16 hours by some people and the 24 hours for certain types. This is not good for the eyes as the lens creates a barrier to oxygen for most of the day.

Overnight corrective contact lens are worn a maximum of 6-8 hrs every night. They act a bit like a jelly mould, correcting the shape by flattening the cornea. This enables light entering the eye to focus correctly on the retina.

When the lenses are removed in the morning the wearer can see without them for the rest of the day and their eyes are also getting lots of oxygen all day long naturally.

So beside the health benefits of wearing corrective contact lenses at night, there is also the freedom of natural vision during the day. This means that you can enjoy lots of activities which can be difficult in glasses and contact lenses.

Are you suitable for overnight vision correction?