A revolutionary game changer in sport?
Night lenses | A revolutionary game changer in sport?
Let’s get to the big question: Why would a top-level athlete with nearsightedness below -5.00D stick with glasses or daytime contact lenses when they could enjoy total freedom by switching to night lenses?
If the answer seems like “There’s no good reason,” and it leads to a significant boost in performance at the highest level of sports, then maybe night lenses are indeed a game-changer for athletes?
So, what are these night lenses exactly? Night lenses are like custom-fit contacts you wear while you catch your beauty sleep. They work their magic through Orthokeratology, or ‘Ortho-K lenses,’ gently reshaping your eyes overnight. When you wake up, voilà! Perfect vision – no more glasses or daytime lenses required. But here’s the catch: it wears off after 24 hours, so you repeat the process daily. Athletes have been onto this for about two decades, and now, with some cool advancements and more optometrists offering them in the US, night lenses are the talk of the town in eye care.
Now, let’s hear from a couple of night lens wearers about whether these lenses are truly a game changer:
Catriona doesn’t hold back: “Absolutely, there’s a clear connection. In any sport where you sweat, touch your face, or rub your eyes, if you’re wearing contact lenses, there’s a chance of them going wonky. Sports glasses can get all sweaty, misty, or smeared, and that’s just another distraction. To truly shine in a performance, you’ve got to tackle all those potential hiccups. If I had to fret about goggles taking a dive while swimming or a lens doing a disappearing act during a race, it would have been a whole different ball game. Now, all I do is pop one lens in and out. That’s it. No eye worries for the rest of the day or the race. Why wouldn’t you want to take control of what can go haywire?”
How have night lenses impacted your athletic journey?
Catriona calls it a “game-changer.” She says, “All the pesky inconveniences simply disappeared. You don’t realize how precious normal vision is until you have it! I wake up in the morning without a care in the world. I don’t even see myself as having any kind of vision hiccup anymore. It’s seriously impressive.”
Dr. Euan Speirits, an Elite 4X and Downhill Mountain Bike Racer, is also a user of night lenses…
“No doubt about it. They’re bound to make a big difference in sports and daily life for folks who rely on glasses or daytime lenses and can switch to night lenses. The bottom line is, my life wouldn’t be where it is if I’d stuck with regular contact lenses. Achieving what I have in mountain biking wouldn’t have been possible without the freedom night lenses offer. I can’t stress enough how much I recommend them. Anyone who’s used daytime lenses has felt the discomfort and movement in the eye, leading to 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 embracing night lenses affected your sports performance?”
“It’s been a genuine game-changer. I can take part in a full day of competition without being bothered by the discomfort of dry eyes from contact lenses. I can lead a normal life without fretting over my lenses drying out or slipping off, especially when I’m paddleboarding. Night lenses have truly made my life hassle-free.”
In the world of sports, where the difference between success and second place can be measured in tiny fractions of a second or millimeters, achieving peak performance requires everything to be finely tuned. Both Catriona and Euan, along with other night lens users competing at a professional or high amateur level, agree that reaching their highest potential and achieving top results demands “perfect vision” without anything interfering with their eyes or face – a clear and logical choice.
Could night lenses potentially nurture the next generation of champions?
It’s incredible how many stories we hear from adults who had to abandon their sports dreams due to poor eyesight when they needed glasses or contacts. When they reached the point of needing corrective eyewear, they gave up. We had the chance to chat with 17-year-old Oisin McVeigh, a dedicated rugby union player with aspirations to excel in a sport he loves. He’s at the crossroads where many young athletes decide whether to continue their journey:
“Sports have become a lot smoother for me. In rugby, having good vision and being able to see what’s happening on the field is crucial. Before, I struggled to see across the pitch or even recognize other players. Improved vision will make a huge difference in boosting my performance. To get better, I needed either lenses or sports glasses, but the thought of dealing with the hassles of those options – losing a lens or getting dirt in my eyes during a match – wasn’t appealing. Night lenses are the perfect fix.”
As is often the case, supportive parents play a significant role in shaping and making decisions about their child’s development, especially for talented young athletes. We had a chat with Osh’s mother, Grainne, and asked her:
“So, Grainne, how did Osh end up using 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. It was clear that he needed something to enhance his sight to improve his performance. However, he wasn’t keen on wearing lenses during sports because he was worried about them falling out or getting dirty during a game. Sports glasses weren’t an attractive option either. Coincidentally, we came across night lenses and found the concept intriguing – lenses that improve eyesight while you sleep? We dug into it, and here we are!”
“Why is it important to you as a parent to have Osh use night lenses?”
“As a parent, two things matter to me. Firstly, 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. When I was young, I was a keen swimmer, but I had to give it up and quit swimming altogether. Goggles didn’t quite solve the problem for me. I used to enjoy water sports like water-skiing, but I had to give them all up too. Secondly, providing him with choices and opportunities. This has opened up a world of possibilities for Osh, and that’s fantastic. He won’t have to give up activities due to poor vision or the limitations of daytime lenses or glasses. For his rugby, I believe this is the best gift we could give 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 help more young individuals with myopia advance further and faster in their sports by offering better vision at this crucial stage, it’s highly likely that our UK talent pool and development pipeline will reap the rewards. Are night lenses a revolutionary game-changer that will empower some of our young elite athletes to overcome obstacles? Can they assist a portion of the approximately 1.5 million short-sighted 8-18 year-olds in the UK in excelling 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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