A revolutionary game changer in sport?
Night lenses | A revolutionary game changer in sport?
“THE BIG QUESTION: Why would anyone with nearsightedness under -5.00D who competes in sports at the highest level use glasses or contact lenses to see, when they could have complete freedom from both by switching to night lenses?”
If the answer is “There’s no logical reason,” and the outcome of doing so is an undisputed improvement in performance at the highest level, then maybe night lenses are indeed a game changer in sports?
What are night lenses? Night lenses are custom-fit contact lenses that you wear while you sleep. Overnight, they gently correct your eyes using a process called Orthokeratology (also known as ‘Ortho-K lenses’). When you take them out in the morning, you have perfect vision, eliminating the need for glasses or daytime lenses throughout the day. The effect naturally wears off after 24 hours, so wearers simply repeat the process as part of their daily routine, just like with daytime lenses. Many athletes who never want to deal with muddy lenses or lenses getting dislodged on the field have been wearing night lenses for around 20 years. With recent advancements and more Optometrists offering them in the US, night lenses have become an exciting new eyecare innovation that’s capturing everyone’s attention.
So, are night lenses a revolutionary game changer in sports?
We asked a couple of wearers their thoughts:
Catriona Morrison, a night lens wearer, is a multi-time world champion in Duathlon, won a bronze medal at the World Championship in long-distance Triathlon, and became an Ironman champion…
“Absolutely, there’s a clear link. In any sport where you sweat, touch your face, or rub your eyes, if you’re wearing contact lenses, there’s a risk of dislodging them, and that’s something you have to constantly think about. Sports glasses can get sweaty, foggy, or smudged, and that’s another distraction. To excel in a performance, you need to address all the potential concerns. If I had to worry about goggles coming off while swimming or a lens getting displaced during a race, it would have been a completely different story. Now, all I do is put one lens in and take it out. That’s it. No eye concerns for the rest of the day or the race. Why wouldn’t you want to manage what’s uncontrollable? So many elements during a race are beyond control – why not take control where you can?”
“What impact have night lenses had on your athletic journey?”
“It’s been revolutionary. All the inconveniences just vanished. You don’t realize how valuable normal vision is until you experience it! I wake up in the morning with nothing to fret about. I don’t even consider myself as having any sort of vision issue anymore. It’s quite remarkable.”
Dr. Euan Speirits is an Elite 4X and Downhill Mountain Bike Racer. He’s also a user of night lenses…
“No doubt about it. They’re bound to significantly revolutionize sports and life for individuals who rely on glasses or day lenses and can switch to night lenses. The bottom line is, my life wouldn’t have reached the position it’s in if I had continued with regular contact lenses. Mountain biking achievements that I’ve accomplished wouldn’t have been possible without the freedom provided by night lenses. I can’t emphasize enough how much I recommend them. Everyone who’s used day lenses has experienced their discomfort or movement in the eye, causing irritation. In high-performance sports, not having to worry about that is a game-changer. Your vision is your own, no compromises. I’m surprised more people aren’t wearing them.”
“How has the adoption of night lenses impacted your sports performance?”
“It has genuinely transformed it. I can participate in a day of competition without being distracted by the discomfort of dry eyes from contact lenses. I can lead a normal life without concerns about my lenses drying out or falling off, especially when I’m paddleboarding. Night lenses have truly normalized my life.”
In the world of sports where the difference between success and second place can be measured in fractions of seconds or millimeters, achieving optimal performance demands everything to be finely tuned. Both Catriona and Euan, along with other night lens users competing at a professional or high amateur level, concur that attaining peak performance and top results requires “perfect sight” achieved without anything in their eyes or on their face – a logical decision.
Can night lenses potentially nurture our pipeline of future champions?
It’s remarkable how many stories we hear from adults who had to give up their sports dreams due to poor eyesight once they needed glasses or contacts. When they reached the point of needing corrective eyewear, they gave up. We had the opportunity to talk to 17-year-old Oisin McVeigh, a dedicated rugby union player who aspires to excel in a sport he loves. He’s currently at the juncture where many decide whether to continue their journey:
“Sports have become significantly easier for me. In rugby, being able to observe and see what’s happening on the field is crucial. Previously, I struggled to see across the pitch or even recognize players. Improved vision will make a massive difference in enhancing my performance. To get better, I needed either lenses or sports glasses, but the idea of dealing with the hassle of those options – losing a lens or getting dirt in my eyes during a match – wasn’t appealing. Night lenses are the perfect solution.”
As is often the case, behind every talented young athlete, there are supportive parents who play a pivotal role in influencing and making decisions about their child’s progression. We had a conversation with Osh’s mother, Grainne, and asked her:
“So, Grainne, how did Osh end up with night lenses?”
“Osh is a talented rugby player, but he wasn’t using glasses or lenses on the field, which puzzled us because it seemed challenging for him to perform without proper vision. To enhance his performance, it was evident that he needed something to aid his sight. However, he wasn’t enthusiastic about wearing lenses during sports due to concerns about them falling out or getting dirty during a game. He also didn’t want sports glasses. Coincidentally, we learned about night lenses and found the concept intriguing – a lens that improves eyesight while you sleep? We delved into it, and here we are!”
“Why is having Osh use night lenses important to you as a parent?”
“Two things matter to me as a parent. First, stabilizing his eyesight [Editor’s note: night lenses can stabilize myopia in children]. My eyesight is -13, so I understand the challenges of having severely impaired vision. In my youth, I was an avid swimmer, but I had to quit and stopped swimming altogether. Goggles didn’t quite solve the problem for me. I used to enjoy water sports, like water-skiing, but I gave them all up. Second, providing him with choices and opportunities. This has opened up a world of possibilities for Osh, and that’s fantastic. He won’t need to give up activities due to poor vision or the limitations of day lenses or glasses. For his rugby, I believe this is the best gift we could offer him as parents.”
If we can reduce the number of young talents quitting sports because glasses or daytime lenses hinder them, or if we can enable more youngsters with myopia to advance further and faster in their sports by offering better sight at this crucial stage, it’s likely that our UK talent pool and development pipeline will undoubtedly reap the benefits. Are night lenses a groundbreaking game changer that will empower some of our young elite athletes to break through barriers? Can they aid a portion of the approximately 1.5 million short-sighted 8-18 year-olds in the UK to excel in professional or amateur sports? Most certainly.
If you’re involved in professional or high amateur sports and find this article intriguing enough to seek more information, consult your optician about night lenses. If your optician doesn’t offer night lenses, you can locate a fitting specialist in your vicinity here: CLICK HERE to insert your postcode into our interactive google map
But let’s delve deeper – how exactly do night lenses function?
CLICK HERE for an engaging and straightforward animation that explains the process.
CLICK HERE to read/watch testimonials by others that have experiences with night lenses.
Article author
This article has been authored by Tom Griffiths, the Managing Director of Scotlens, a Scotland-based custom-fit contact lens manufacturer specializing in night lenses since 2003. Tom is an entrepreneur and social entrepreneur, and his teenage son’s life underwent a complete transformation thanks to night lenses. This pivotal moment in his son’s life, facilitated by a ‘night lens’ – a term he had never encountered or been offered by an optician – spurred Tom into action. Driven by his fervor for the advantages of night lenses and his determination to spread awareness, Tom eventually became part of the company. He currently serves as an advocate for night lenses and as a Myopia Control Awareness advocate for children and their parents.
For those interested in getting in touch with Tom, CLICK HERE if you’re a sports coach, organization, association, or media representative.
To witness Tom’s inspiration – his 16-year-old son, an avid surfer whose pursuits are made possible by night lenses – and to hear his family’s transformative story, CLICK HERE.
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