Aside from a great protein snack, a spider falling / crawling into your mouth during sleep isn't what most people want. With over 55% of women and 18% of men having a fear of spiders (Arachnophobia) in western populations its no wonder spiders are synonymous with Halloween.
You must have heard the "fact" "Every year you swallow 8 spiders in your sleep". Is there any truth to this fact? Where is the science to back it up? The truth is not one scientific study has been done to date specifically looking at this. The actual number is unknown. In general small insects do not tent to venture into the mouths of large warm-blooded predators. Our bodies are also armed with in-built defences whilst we sleep such as vibrations on our skin causing our hands to brush away foreign objects (on our face).
Origins of the "fact":
1993 Linda Holst (a journalist) made up a list of ridiculous "facts" to highlight how gullible people were as she was annoyed with all the silly "facts" that were circulating on the internet and via email. Ironically the myth of eating 8 spiders a year in your sleep took hold and is still questioned today.
Have you ever woken up with a spider in your mouth? Let us know via:
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