Sleep Sight

Sleep Sight Lenses

What is it?

Sleep Sight is a an FDA-approved vision therapy program from Jarvis Vision Center that delivers clear, comfortable vision without the need for glasses, daytime contact lenses or surgery.

Before going to bed, Sleep Sight patients put on custom therapeutic mold that corrects their blurry vision while they sleep by gently reshaping the surface of their eyes. Once they wake up, they remove the lenses and enjoy a full day of clarity. You can think of Sleep Sight like an orthodontic retainer for eyeballs.

Sleep Sight is known by several names: Orthokeratology, Ortho-K, Corneal Reshaping Therapy, Corneal Refractive Therapy and others.

How does it work?

To see clearly, our eyes must focus light accurately similar to the way a camera focuses. The light is focused in large part by the cornea or front surface of the eye. Sleep Sight gently molds or focuses the cornea while a person is sleeping, creating a sharpened image when they wake. Our doctors will design this custom lens to obtain the change needed to achieve clear vision. When the lens is removed in the morning the cornea begins to return to its original shape but so slowly that good vision is maintained all waking hours. This process will be repeated nightly for optimal clarity.

Sleep Sight

The elastic tissue of the surface is not harmed by this daily process and is completely reversible. Perhaps an analogy we all have seen would be the ridges left by a tight fitting sock. The soft tissue compressed by the sock leave visible ridges that quickly go away. Sleep Sight is not a permanent alteration of tissue and is a great alternative to more permanent corrections like LASIK from someone reluctant or unable to have surgical procedure.

Sleep Sight

Am I a candidate?

The Sleep Sight program is a safe, effective, non-invasive and non-surgical procedure for anyone who desires freedom from daytime contact lenses or glasses. Children who are nearsighted (blur at distance) can benefit most. Nearsightedness, or myopia, is caused by elongation of the eye and should be considered a disease as it results in weaker ocular structures. Like many diseases, it can worsen over time. This program can slow down this progression and decrease the risk of future ocular complications that come along with weaker, longer eyes.

With no age restrictions, this program is available for young and old. The most important factor being maturity level and hygiene. Other limitations depend on amount power needing to be corrected. Most nearsighted patients will be good candidates for the program. If you are farsighted or have high amounts of astigmatism then you are still treatable but results may be less predictable.

Only after completing a consultation and exam our doctors be able to determine if you are a suitable candidate.

Myopia Control

Myopia, AKA nearsightedness, is a type of refractive error meaning that the light is being focused in front of the retina. Light from the cornea and crystalline lens is being bent to land short of the back of the eye, meaning the eye is too long for clear vision. Myopia is considered a progressive disease because most children start out with low amounts of myopia and that amount becomes greater each year. Traditionally, we use glasses and contact lens to give children clearer vision but it will not slow the progression.

Changing the power in the glasses is an easy fix, but with every increase in power comes an increase in risk for future eye disease. We know that the higher amount of myopia a patient has, the higher the risk for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal tears or detachments and even blindness. Ortho-K not only give us an alternative to clearer vision without the need for glasses and contacts, but also can slow or halt myopia progression. Our Sleep Sight program does this molding the cornea to properly focus light on the central and peripheral retina. Normal contact lenses or glasses are unable to do this; they only focus light centrally leading to unfocused peripheral vision, which signals the eye to elongate.

Other ways to help slow myopia progression includes spending 2 hours a day or more outside, holding near work further away and decreasing the amount of near work.

Sleep Sight

What is Sleep Sight

Sleep Sight is an orthokeratology vision correction therapy using a specially designed contact lens that gently reshapes the curvature of the eye to improve vision. Patients who want to improve their eyesight and who are found to be good candidates for Ortho-k are fitted with custom contact lenses that are worn at night while sleeping. You can think of orthokeratology like orthodontics. It’s somewhat like wearing braces for the eyes, but very gentle braces in the form of specially designed lenses. Just as an orthodontist adjusts braces to straighten teeth, your orthokeratologist will use custom fabricated contact lenses to reshape your eyes until they have reached an optimum vision correction shape.

What other names are used to refer to the Sleep Sight program?

Ortho-k, OrthoK, Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT), Vision Shaping Treatment (VST). In addition, the Ortho-k lenses themselves come in a variety of names which can also be confusing but which effectively are all referring to the same thing. Some of the names are: Retainer Lenses, Vision Retainers, Retainers, Ortho-k Lenses, Corneal Molds, Molds, Wave Lenses, and CRT Lenses. These may differ in design, but they all are used in orthokeratology treatment.

Watch how to put in lenses

Is Ortho-k permanent?

No. If you stop wearing the lenses, your original vision should return in about 24 to 72 hours.

How long does it take to start working?

Most patients see a dramatic improvement after the first night. Complete vision correction may take up to one week or longer for some people

What is involved in the Ortho-k program?

Patients will have a full comprehensive exam and if it is deemed they are a suitable candidate for the program they will be fit with specialty therapeutic lenses or retainers. The patient will be thoroughly trained on day one regarding care of retainers and insertion and removal. Follow up evaluations will be done the next day, then 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. After year one in the program, patients will be seen twice annually typically.

Can I see while wearing my Sleep Sight lenses?

Yes, your vision with the lenses on will be the same as when you remove them in the morning.

Is it easy to care for the lenses?

Definitely. The lenses need to be cleaned and disinfected after every wear. Your doctor will go over the cleaning products you will need to care for your lenses. It is imperative that your lenses are kept very clean and disinfected.

Do lenses need to be replaced periodically?

Sleep Sight lenses usually last at least 1 year, and in some cases longer. Even if the lenses look good, older lenses may become warped, which may alter the efficacy of the treatment. Your doctor will assess your lenses for defects and severity of warping, each time you are seen and will suggest replacement when indicated.

How do I find out if I'm a candidate for the Sleep Sight program?

The first step in the evaluation is a complete eye exam. The strength and type of prescription you have as well as the health of your corneas will dictate your potential candidacy. Sophisticated maps of your corneas (called topography) will be taken and analyzed as well. Schedule An Appointment

I wear reading glasses only. Can Sleep Sight correct this condition?

The answer is not simple. Recent advances in orthokeratology now exist to treat hyperopia (farsightedness) and presbyopia (weakened focusing ability for near work). The process can be a little more complex than myopic (nearsighted) treatments and the results are not yet as reliable. Your doctor can tell you about your potential candidacy for treatment of these conditions after an evaluation.

I wear monovision lenses. Can Sleep Sight lenses produce a similar effect?

Absolutely. Monovision corrects one nearsighted eye for distance and one for near. Sleep Sight lenses can be fit the same way. Your doctor can tell you if you are a candidate for this modality.

Are there any risks?

The risks associated with Sleep Sight are similar to extended-wear overnight traditional contact lens wear. As with all contact lens wear, there is a small risk of infection; therefore contacts should never be worn if the eyes are red, irritated, or painful. Call your doctor immediately should any of these symptoms occur. Do not wait to see if it goes away on its own.

Do the lenses hurt?

No. Initially, most people have “lens awareness,” but no pain. After the first one to two weeks, the awareness subsides for most patients.

Does insurance cover Sleep Sight?

Sleep Sight is considered an elective procedure therefore there is no insurance coverage at this time. Patients may use health savings accounts for Sleep Sight. We also have Care Credit to assist financially for those eligible.

Are the Sleep Sight lenses soft or hard?

Sleep Sight is considered an elective procedure therefore there is no insurance coverage at this time. Patients may use health savings accounts for Sleep Sight. We also have Care Credit to assist financially for those eligible.

Is Orthokeratology new?

The art and science of Orthokeratology has been around for over 40 years. In the last decade, major technological advances have been made and we now have accelerated overnight orthokeratology making the process much faster and much more effective.

Is Ortho-k FDA approved?

There are several designs on the market. Some of the designs have specific FDA approval and some do not. Because customized retainer lenses are made-to-fit your individual eye, there are no “standardized” designs for these lenses. Due to the unique nature of the lenses, they cannot receive FDA approval because every lens is different. The lenses will however be made with FDA approved materials. These customized lenses may be the best option for a successful fit depending on your distinctive corneal topography. Your doctor will have a discussion with you advising your best options for success.

Is Sleep Sight safe for children?

Yes, in fact, Sleep Sight may be the best option available for children. There is no age too young for Sleep Sight, however, all children are different and your child needs to be mature enough to handle the hygiene and responsibility of this therapy.

Will my child's vision still get worse every year?

No. There are several studies ongoing to see if Ortho-k can help slow or stop the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children. We are finding that indeed children who are treated with this therapy appear to be slowing down their rate of myopia progression, though the research is still in progress. This does not mean that Ortho-k “cures” myopia, it simply means that the strength of prescription stops changing.

How much does the Sleep Sight program cost?

Prices can vary depending on the complexity of your prescription and the type of lenses needed to best correct your vision. In general, the average cost is between $3-5 per day the first year and $1-2 per day in subsequent years. These prices include all visits related to the Sleep Sight Program.

Can I do Ortho-k after Lasik since it didn't work well for me?

Unfortunately, at this time, patients who have had LASIK surgery are not good candidates for Ortho-k. The safety of the procedure has not been studied in post-LASIK patients. However, certain daily use contact lenses can be very effective in post-LASIK patients especially those with distorted corneas. For those patients, we often recommend customized Rigid Gas Permeable contact lenses for day time use only.

Why haven't I heard of Ortho-k before?

While most optometrists are trained in contact lens fitting, few go on to obtain the necessary level of additional training needed to design and manage Orthokeratology programs. Additionally, specialized equipment like a corneal topographer and proficiency in Ortho-K designing software are needed to accurately manage Orthokeratology patients. Many optometrists simply do not have the time or resources to offer Ortho-K. At Jarvis Vision Center, Dr. Jarvis and Dr. Williams have chosen to devote time to have additional training and education so they can offer this exciting therapy to their patients.

With my dry eye, I have difficult wearing contact lenses. Is Ortho-k a good option for me?

There is no easy answer to this question; however, many people with dry eyes do better with Ortho-k than other contact lens modalities because the lenses are only worn when sleeping. Your doctor might need to treat your dry eye either before or concurrently with your Ortho-k treatment to ensure you get good results.

Want to know more about Sleep Sight? Check out our blog or call our office today: 270-512-9357.