Contact Lenses for Extended Wear
Contact lenses are available for two different wear schedules:
daily wear, meaning you remove them before sleeping, and
extended wear, or overnight wear.
What are extended wear contact lenses?
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some contact lenses for daily wear only, and others for extended wear. The primary distinction of extended wear lenses is that they let more oxygen reach the surface of your eyes.
Most extended wear lenses are FDA-approved to be worn without removal for up to seven days. A new type of soft contact lens material, silicone hydrogel, is considered “super-permeable,” and some lenses made from this material are approved for up to 30 days of wear without removal.
One gas permeable lens brand is also approved for 30 days of wear. This 30-day type of extended wear is sometimes called “continuous wear.”