By Michael Hutton 

Overnight contact lenses  worn only while sleeping are now the new alternative to laser eye surgery for those short-sighted people wanting perfect daytime vision. Previously, only laser surgery could correct short-sightedness and enable people to see clearly without needing spectacles or daytime contact lenses. However, not only is laser surgery expensive, it also involves some element of risk that the treatment will not result in a perfect outcome. This is where the new overnight contact lenses offer an attractive alternative treatment which is both cheaper and safer - yet still provides perfect daytime vision. It sounds too good to be true. Indeed, if overnight contact lenses really work why doesn't every optician offer them to their short-sighted patients?

The reason so few opticians provide this unique treatment is that it takes more professional time to design and fit the custom-designed overnight contact lenses  and accordingly it takes longer for the optician to earn a profit from such patients. For the High Street chains that dominate the UK optical market, this approach to business - whilst good for the consumer - is not good for their bottom line. Hence their focus on selling glasses and conventional contact lenses where the revenue and profit from the patient flows through quickly. Since these chains are also the dominant advertisers in the market, their promotions drown out the marketing efforts of independent opticians who offer specialised treatments like overnight contact lenses.

So who should think about wearing overnight contact lenses ? Well, it is a long list since it essentially covers any short-sighted individual from 6 to 60 years of age! For all sports participants and especially for water sports, these lenses enable people to play without needing to invest expensive prescription eyewear. For people who suffer from dry eye or from allergies like hay fever which make daytime contact lens wear uncomfortable, these lenses offer a perfect solution since the comfort issues are eliminated by only leading to wear them whilst sleeping. Finally, for children the lenses are especially effective since they also prevent their short-sightedness from deteriorating further by preventing elongation of the eyes during adolescence.