Can You Swallow Spiders in Your Sleep?

You may have heard that you can swallow spiders in your sleep. In fact, the idea has spread via email chains and social media. If you’re like me, you’ve wondered what’s the science behind such a claim.

It turns out that swallowing a spider while sleeping isn’t actually as likely as it sounds. There are several astronomical conditions to consider. One would be the time of day.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has reported that 25% of the mouth opens during the course of a normal night’s sleep. That’s too little space for a spider to crawl into.

Another thing to remember is that a spider wouldn’t want to eat your tongue. This is because it could choke you. Fortunately, your first line of defense is your sense of touch.

In all fairness, swallowing a spider is not as common as catching it in the wild, but it is possible. Depending on who you ask, you can usually expect to eat at least a few spiders every year.

As for the best time to do the spider-swallow, there aren’t many definitive answers. Some people swear by the fabled eight per year rate, while others claim to have swallowed upwards of a dozen.

One could argue that gulping down a spider while sleeping is not the most noble of activities. However, there are at least a few scientifically proven ways of doing it.

Arachnids use many clever tricks to detect prey. They sense it through various means, including vibration receptors on their legs, eyesight, and chemical cues.

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