What happens if you wear your contact lenses for too long?
Be honest. You’ve been tempted to stretch a pair of contact lenses a pinch more than recommended, right?
We get it.
Maybe you ran out of contacts before your new order arrived or you looked at a perfectly good pair of lenses and thought “good enough.”
Time changes everything and that includes your contact lenses. Over time, lenses collect deposits, lose moisture, and become less effective at delivering oxygen to your eyes. That's why replacement schedules exist in the first place.
In this post, we’ll cover how long contacts are meant to be worn, what happens when you wear them too long, and how to recognize when your eyes are trying to tell you something is wrong.
How long is it safe to wear daily contact lenses?
Most daily disposable contact lenses are designed to be worn for a single day and typically up to about 14 to 16 hours, depending on your eyes, the lens material, and your eye doctor's recommendations.
At the end of the day, daily contacts should be removed and thrown away.
Once it's out, it's done for.
Can I wear my daily contacts for 2 days?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: nuh-uh.
But for real, daily contacts are not designed to be cleaned, stored, or reused. Even if they still feel comfortable the next morning, the lens material wasn't designed for multiple days of wear.
Reusing daily contacts can increase your risk of:
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Dryness
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Irritation
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Protein buildup
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Blurry vision
The issues that arise when you ignore the daily part of daily contacts might not be visible to the naked eye, but they can definitely hurt it.
Even if you store a daily lens in solution overnight, it's still considered expired after one day of use. Daily disposables are made differently than reusable lenses and are not intended to withstand repeated cleaning, storage, or reinsertion.
How long can you wear biweekly contacts?
Biweekly contacts are designed to be replaced every 14 days.
Not 14 individual wears, but 14 calendar days from the time you open the lenses.
During those two weeks, you can remove, clean, and store them each night according to your eye doctor's instructions.
Many wearers find biweekly lenses a great balance between convenience and cost when compared to daily and monthly contacts.
How long can you wear monthly contacts?
This is one of the biggest points of confusion among contact lens wearers.
Monthly contacts have the same rule as biweekly contact; they are designed to be replaced every 30 days. Even if you only wear them occasionally, if you open them on the 1st of the month, toss them on the 30th or 31st (the only exception is if you open them on February 1st, you know, cause math).
What happens if you wear contacts too long?
Your lenses and your eyes both pay the price.
Common issues associated with overwearing contacts include:
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Dry eyes
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Redness
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Irritation
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Protein and debris buildup
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Reduced oxygen flow to the cornea
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Increased sensitivity to light
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Excessive tearing
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Corneal inflammation
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Feeling like something is stuck in your eye
Remove your contacts immediately if you experience:
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Significant eye pain
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Sudden blurred vision
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Extreme redness
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Eye discharge
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A scratched-eye sensation that won't go away
Your eyes have one job during contact lens wear: getting enough oxygen and staying healthy. Old or overworn lenses make that job much harder.
In more serious cases, repeated overwear can contribute to corneal complications that may require medical treatment. If symptoms continue after removing your contacts, contact your eye doctor.
Can I take a 20-minute nap with contacts in?
We've all done it.
You sit down to study, watch a show, or relax for a minute, and suddenly you wake up 20 minutes later.
Even short naps can:
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Dry out lenses
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Reduce oxygen flow
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Make lenses stick more tightly to the eye
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Increase irritation
A brief accidental nap is unlikely to cause serious damage, but sleeping in contact lenses is generally not recommended unless the lenses are specifically approved for overnight wear and/or your doctor has given you the A-OK.
If you frequently find yourself falling asleep unexpectedly, keep a pair of glasses nearby.
Do contacts make astigmatism blurry?
They can if something isn't right.
If you have astigmatism and your contacts suddenly seem blurry, possible causes include:
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A lens that has rotated out of position
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Dry eyes
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A damaged lens
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Protein buildup
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An outdated prescription
Toric lenses, which are designed for astigmatism, need to remain properly positioned on the eye. If they’re not, vision can fluctuate throughout the day.
Safe habits that help protect your eyes
The easiest way to avoid contact lens complications is to follow a few simple habits:
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Replace lenses on schedule
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Never reuse daily disposable lenses
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Wash and dry your hands before handling contacts
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Use fresh solution for reusable lenses
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Keep your contact lens case clean
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Give your eyes occasional breaks with glasses
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Schedule regular eye exams
Most contact lens problems aren't caused by wearing contacts. They're caused by wearing them incorrectly.
If your daily lenses are supposed to last one day, wear them for one day. If your monthly lenses are supposed to last 30 days, replace them after 30 days.
Your future self—and your eyeballs—will thank you.
Did you know you can order contacts online?
Say goodbye to trips to the eye doctor and hello to convenience!
With 1-800 Contacts, you can easily order your contact lenses online and have them delivered straight to your door. Plus, our online vision exam makes it simple to get the prescription you need without leaving home.
And the best part? You'll save money on your first order with 1-800 Contacts. It's never been easier to get your contacts!
Original publish date: 6/20/2022
Updated date: 8/20/2026