How Many Spiders Crawl in Your Mouth When You Sleep?
WouterIf you’re a fan of urban legends, then you’ve probably heard about swallowing spiders in sleep. This is a very implausible claim. It’s also not very scientific.
The fact is, it would take an incredibly large number of things to happen for a spider to end up in your mouth while you’re sleeping. Not only would the spider have to be big enough to fit in your mouth, but it also has to fall in at the exact right moment.
This would not happen very often. Spiders are solitary animals. They prefer to spend their time spinning webs, not fending off human intruders. As a result, they are unlikely to venture into the dark, moist caves of a snorer’s room.
To be able to swallow a spider in your mouth while you’re sleeping, you’d need to have an open mouth and a very wide one at that. You’d also have to have the courage to do it. Normally, people close their mouths when they sleep.
Spiders do have a knack for sniffing out vibrations. Often, sleeping humans give off vibrations that warn spiders of their presence. Consequently, they tend to run away from snoring humans.
However, a lot of the science behind swallowing spiders while you’re sleeping doesn’t exist. For example, most arachnids detect their prey using chemical cues.
While it’s true that some people do actually swallow spiders while they’re asleep, this is an extremely rare event. Considering the average person swallows about eight spiders per year, it’s more likely that you’re gulping down dust particles than eating a spider.
