SHORT-SIGHTED youngsters in Somerset are abandoning their specs and turning to a novel overnight form of vision correction – first used by the Mandarin Chinese a couple of millennia ago.

The ancient Chinese knew that sleeping with tiny bags of sand on their closed eyelids resulted in better vision the next day.

The treatment, which has been refined to an almost perfect art, is now known as Orthokeratology, or Ortho-k, and corrects vision as you sleep.

Rather than balancing bags of sand, the bespoke eye treatment involves wearing tailor-made contact lenses which gently flatten the cornea by less than a hair’s width while the patient sleeps.

Using detailed topographical maps of the cornea the lenses are produced for each person to provide perfect day time vision.

The treatment is being promoted by Turners Optometrists in Bridgwater, as Ian Moss, Lead Optometrist, explained: “We know that myopia in UK children has doubled in the past 50 years and the likelihood of developing more serious eye conditions in later life is significantly higher with even low levels of myopia.

"If we can arrest the progression of this vision loss in young people it has to be a good thing. The other great benefit is that Ortho-k leaves them free of glasses and contact lenses all day – hygiene and care of the lenses is left at home in the bathroom each day.”

Ten-year-old Taunton resident, Jarno Ottavianelli, has been using Ortho-k to correct his vision since he was eight, and two years down the line is delighted with the results.

“I really like the fact that I don’t have to wear glasses any more – my friends all noticed. I couldn’t wear my glasses for sport and was really struggling with cricket and hockey as I couldn’t see the ball.

"For go-carting it was difficult too as I couldn’t wear glasses under the visor – now I can see perfectly,” said Jarno."

His mother, Sheila, is pleased that his prescription has stabilised and that the Ortho-k provides good vision during the day.

“In the two years Jarno’s lens powers have not had to be increased so the vision has stabilised. It works very well, even when we are travelling and on holiday – this is so much better as his vision is well corrected throughout the day.”

Another keen user of Ortho-k is 14 year old Tyler Holman from Bridgwater who abandoned his glasses a few months ago to try Ortho-k. With a prescription similar to Jarno’s at -1.75 dioptres his vision for sport has improved significantly.

The avid footballer, who plays for North Somerset and Wincanton, believes the overnight vision correction has made a lot of difference to his game.

“It has been so much easier to judge distances and my vision is now better than 20/20 – it is unbelievable," he said.

"I can play sport and see properly by wearing the lenses each night. Once you have put them in you don’t even know they are there.

"I wear the lenses most nights but sometimes I can skip a night and my vision is still good the next day. My friends think it is really cool,” said the Haygrove pupil.