It’s hard to get up during the winter vacation, but you can’t “sleep in” with orthokeratology lenses

Usually busy with studies

The holiday finally arrived

Everyone wants to sleep a little longer.

However, friends who wear orthokeratology lenses

Don't sleep in.

With the arrival of winter vacation, children who wear orthokeratology lenses have come to the Wuhan University Affiliated Aier Eye Hospital for follow-up examinations. Many parents reported that their children could not wake up in the morning and had difficulty getting up. Their orthokeratology lenses also "slept in", and the time they wore the lenses exceeded 10 hours! Children usually study hard and want to sleep a little longer during the holidays. Can they also wear orthokeratology lenses for a few more hours?

Yan Binxian, a national first-level (senior) optometrist and deputy director of the optometry department of the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, emphasized that everyone must strictly follow the doctor's advice regarding the wearing time of orthokeratology lenses. Do not delay removing the lenses in order to sleep in, and do not stay up late and end up not getting enough sleep, which affects the orthokeratology effect.

How long should orthokeratology lenses be worn at night?

From the working principle of orthokeratology, it changes the distribution of cells on the anterior surface of the cornea through the pressure on the lens surface and the fluid mechanics of tears, thereby changing the defocus state of the retinal periphery, thereby achieving the effect of inhibiting the increase of the eye axis and delaying the progression of myopia.

After wearing orthokeratology lenses, the cornea is reshaped as follows: the epithelial cell layer is reshaped, and the cells migrate to the periphery, which temporarily thins the center of the cornea and thickens the mid-periphery. To achieve the best effect of this physical reshaping process, it is generally necessary to wear the lenses for 7 to 9 hours at night.

Why should we ensure the wearing time of glasses?

Sufficient time of wearing glasses is the premise of maintaining good vision during the day. However, the cornea itself is elastic and is reshaped during sleep at night. However, after removing the glasses during the day, the shape of the cornea will gradually recover over time. Therefore, some children may feel that their vision at night is not as good as in the morning.

Therefore, in order to maintain good naked eye vision and control the development of myopia, wearers must insist on wearing orthokeratology lenses every night.

What are the consequences of wearing glasses for too long?

The normal metabolism of the cornea cannot be separated from oxygen. When sleeping at night, the eyelids are closed, just like closing the window, preventing fresh air from coming in and blocking new oxygen from entering the cornea. This is why the material of orthokeratology lenses must have high oxygen permeability.

Although orthokeratology lenses have high oxygen permeability, it does not mean that we can sleep with them forever. If you sleep with your lenses for too long, the tear secretion will be reduced, which will reduce the mobility of the lens and the circulation of tears, increase the difficulty of removing the lenses, and more importantly, increase the probability of corneal hypoxia and physiological edema. Therefore, do not wear your lenses for more than 10 hours a night.

Zhou Chao, a national first-level (senior) optometrist, deputy leader of the optometry group of Aier Eye Hospital Group, and director of the optometry department of Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, reminded that adolescence is an important stage for physical development and vision growth, and there may be significant changes every month. People who wear orthokeratology lenses must have regular checkups so that the fitter can obtain data in a timely manner and formulate appropriate control plans. If eye discomfort is caused by wearing glasses for too long, you can go to the optometry department of Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University for an examination and follow the doctor's advice until you recover before wearing them again.