My Experience with the Noctura 400 Sleep Mask - *Now Available via the NHS

"Saving Sight by Light" 

Last year at the Diabetes UK Professional Care Conference, I came across something quite unusual, a sleep mask that glowed with two green lights.

This was the Noctura 400 Sleep Mask, developed by PolyPhotonix Ltd, a non-invasive light therapy designed to help people with diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema.

How It Works

Noctura 400 uses low level tuned light to manage oxygen levels within the retina and prevent the damage cycle that occurs during sleep and dark adaptation when the rod photoreceptors oxygen demand peaks. This leads to the growth of new blood vessels which in diabetic patients are compromised and damaged, causing diabetic retinopathy. The Noctura 400 slows or stops the progression of retinal damage, treating the diabetic retinopathy — all while you sleep.

My Journey So Far

I've lived with type 1 diabetes for 71 years, I consider myself lucky that the only complications that I have are slight retinopathy & macular oedema in both of my eyes. My vision is important to me so I am pleased to be trying the Noctura 400 to see if it will help me stave off these complications.

After on-line training, to check the before and after results of the mask, I was sent for a private Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) eye scan. This consultation was to create the baseline to measure how the therapy has worked for me.

I started using the Noctura 400 about a year & a half ago, wearing it nightly for eight hours. Each small "pod" tracks and records my use and is replaced every three months. When it is sent back to PolyPhotonix Ltd for analysis.

After 6 months use of the Noctura 400 Sleep Mask I was sent for another scan. The results showed my left eye Visual Acuity has remained stable at what is often called "20:20 vision." My right eye Visual Acuity has improved from 6/9.5 to 6/7.5. This is better described as " I can read 1 more line on the eye chart.

As stated, I was advised that I had slight retinopathy & macular oedema at baseline therefore were not expecting to see much change - in fact a result of staying stable was the aim here.

After a one year scan, my results remained stable and even improved further with the small reductions in the key thickness and volume measures being maintained — my right eye is now 6/6-2,  

This coding means that at 6 months I read 1 more line in the eye chart and at 12 months I read almost two extra lines on the eye chart since starting the therapy. My scans show no signs of worsening, and my vision feels slightly clearer, especially in my right eye, which has always been blurry even after my cataract operation.

Comfort and Ease of Use

The mask is lightweight and comfortable, even in warm weather. The soft green light isn't disruptive, in fact, I find it rather calming! Knowing it's helping my eyes makes it easy to keep up the routine.

Now Available on the NHS

Up to now the Noctura 400 has only been available privately for a fee. The good news? The Noctura 400 Sleep Mask is now listed on the NHS Drug Tariff (Part IX), which means it can be prescribed by your local GP or eye specialist. People with Type 1 diabetes in England (and most with Type 2s who use medication) are entitled to free NHS prescriptions. This makes it much easier for people with diabetic retinopathy or macular oedema to access this treatment at no cost to themselves.

Final Thoughts

For me, the results have been encouraging. My vision is stable, slightly improved, and I feel reassured knowing I'm doing something proactive for my eye health. It's simple, comfortable, and fits easily into my daily life.

Saving sight by light really sums it up.

*For more *information, visit noctura.com or talk to your GP about its availability on the NHS.

#Noctura400 #DiabeticRetinopathy #DiabetesCare #EyeHealth #LightTherapy #NHSDrugTariff #VisionCare #PolyPhotonix #MacularOedema

Disclosure

I would like to express my gratitude to PolyPhotonix Ltd. and its employees for providing me with the Noctura 400 Sleep Mask for evaluation reasons without any additional compensation.

I am not an employee of PolyPhotonix Ltd.