What Is the Average Number of Spiders a Person Swallows

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BIRDS AND THE BEES

Is it true that the average person 'eats' upto 4 spiders in their sleep during their lifetime?

David Bagnall, Milton Keynes Bucks

• The actual figure is probably much higher - but don't have nightmares because these are not huge spiders but rather, Bimmo Spiders, the tiny little ones that seem to float. They are perfectly harmless.

  Gary Bardeeni, Scotland

• I heard this yet again 2 days ago. The only way to establish this claim would be to get a significant sample of people, videotape each of them constantly during their sleep (probably several closeup cameras per person) for a significant period, e.g. 6 months, then meticulously analyse the mountain of video footage, in slow motion with a magnifying glass. Does anyone honestly think this project has/would ever get funded? I think not. Yes, it's possible to swallow a spider; No, you can't put numbers on it.

  Gordon, Glasgow, Scotland

• No, this is an urban legend. Created to show that people will believe anything--and then going on to be believed. The following is from the urban legend debunking site www.snopes.com Claim: The average person swallows eight spiders per year. Status: False. Origins: Fear not. This "statistic" was not only made up out of whole cloth, it was invented as an example of the absurd things people will believe simply because they come across them on the Internet. In a 1993 PC Professional article, columnist Lisa Holst wrote about the ubiquitous lists of "facts" that were circulating via e-mail and how readily they were accepted as truthful by gullible recipients. To demonstrate her point, Holst offered her own made-up list of equally ridiculous "facts," among which was the statistic cited above about the average person's swallowing eight spiders per year, which she took from a collection of common misbeliefs printed in a 1954 book on insect folklore. In a delicious irony, Holst's propagation of this false "fact" has spurred it into becoming one of the most widely-circulated bits of misinformation to be found on the Internet.

  Scott McKinstry, Seattle, USA

• This rumour was started in 1993 by Lisa Holst, a columnist for a computing magazine. The article focused on the increasingly common lists of "facts" which had begin to circulate on the internet in the early 1990s. To illustrate her point Holst made up her own list of supposed "facts", one of which was the claim that the average person swallows up to eight spiders per year. In this particular instance Holst apparently took her inspiration from collection of common misbeliefs printed in a 1954 book on insect folklore. It is, of course, wonderfully ironic that Holst's "false fact" has since become one of the most widely spread myths on the internet.

  Rob Stanton, Cambridge, UK

• Remove "in your sleep" and it might be true. At least in the US, the legal limits on insect parts (I expect the regulators include spiders, for simplicity) in processed foods is large enough so that over time it's easy to imagine eating the equivalent of eight spiders - though you might have trouble putting the parts together to make even one.

  William Westbrook, Plainsboro, USA

• Yes. I am a County Medical Examiner (Coroner) in Colorado and have performed thousands of autopsies since I was licensed in 1971. A typical analysis of chemical stomach contents found in over 90% of cases shows a .018 % of insect DNA less than 90 days old. Insect parts do not seem to be digested (similar to corn), however, they remain in the large intestine for an extended period of time and eventually make their delayed way out about 90 days after being consumed. In other words, if you ask any ME (Medical Examiner) he/she will tell you that far more than 8 spiders are eaten in a life time. While we don't know how many actual spiders are consumed each month, there is a considerable amount of chemical and physical (DNA and body parts) evidence that proves the average American (or at least Colorado resident) has consumed 8-12 insects (of varying size) within the previous 90 days. One can safely assume that 90% of Colorodan's have not meant to consume this many spider-parts while awake, but have consumed them inadvertantly, through processed or natural foods, or while asleep. Furthermore, I have completely made up the above explanation, but it just goes to show you that anyone can say anything and make it sound pretty darn believable.

  Jonathon West, MD, Denver, CO, USA

• Thank you Dr West for your articulate and humorous response. I agree.

  Kimberly DeVos, Douglas, Michigan USA

• I sleep with my mouth shut.

  Katherine Connors, Columbia, USA

• I don't think that people can necessarily EAT spiders in their sleep. People don't swallow in their sleep, although they can. For people that read this, don't be scared, although I know that I was a few minutes ago. Even if somehow you do eat spiders, guess what? They haven't hurt you for all of the years that you've lived, so they won't hurt you now. I'm only 12 years old and I've come up with this conclusion. As some say, "Don't get your undies in a bunch about it!"

  Megan Kennedy, Detroit, USA

• About a year ago I woke up to find a spider on my face near my mouth, so I think that myth is somewhat true.

  Amy Maddix, Detroit, USA

• Here in Hawii there are spiders being swallowed, we have videotaped various people in their sleep, with spiders crawling into their mouths, nostrils, and even their ear lobes. It was quite a disturbing sight. The good thing is that the person didn't even budge when the spider crawled in, so you will not feel a thing and wont even know that the spider crawled in, so you won't be all worried.

  Cailey Kiernan, Homowaki, Hawii

• I am a plastic surgeon in Phoenix. It's not the spiders you should be afraid of, but bug parts in processed food. The USA allows a large, large concentration of bugs parts in our processed foods. I guess if you added all the parts up you might just have a spider!

  Robb Johnson, Phoenix, AZ, USA

• to prove this, one would have to get statistics from emergency rooms, symptoms - wiggle and jiggle and tickle inside them. Now if someone said the average person has two insects fly/crawl/fall into their ear in a 15 year period that made it necessary to go to the hospital emergency room in great pain then I would say that is true - since it has happened to me.

  Gene Kowalski, Fairfield, NJ, USA

• Humans consume many things in a years time unintentionally and unknowingly. Many of which, would make their stomachs turn if they knew about them. Fortunately, they do not. Why not spiders?

  Julie, Belle Plaine, Iowa, USA

• I believe it is true. I have seen spiders go in and out of peoples nose, ears, and mouths while they were asleep. They only stay in there for a short time. They will eventually leave. Dont worry, you have had things a lot dirtier in your mouth before.

  Brian C, Roanoke, Va, USA

• People are eating insects all the time. Caterpillars, greenfly, spiders, weevils etc in salads and vegetables that have not been carefully washed. In Cambodia (and probably elsewhere) they eat large fried spiders about the size of a small child's hand, i.e. about 5 inches across the legs. They are very popular and I have the photos!

  Richard Leonard, Falls Church USA

• To be honest, I would worry much more about the chemicals we consume, than a cute little spider, which is biodegradable.

  Lothar Hoffmann, Carsonville, United States

• Spiders are rather picky creatures and have well tuned olfactory systems. Unless a spider were going blind and had lost its sense of smell it would never linger in your mouth for more than a moment. That being said the eating of spiders for sport or cuisine by some individuals may more than average out to 4 per person if said individuals only eat one a week for their lifetime and even considering a 50 year lifespan (everone knows eating spiders is bad for you) they would consume enough spiders for 650 other noneaters to bring the average to 4 during a lifetime. It would be quite easy, especially if the eaters are not terribly picky to eat smaller less delicate spiders more frequently and eat enough for even 1000-2000 noneaters. Either way the spiders, certainly not of their own accord do get eaten...

  Tim Riegel, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

• I can believe things crawl in your mouth, ears, nose, etc. when you are asleep. I have woken with ants on my face, a cockroach on my forehead, and a fly on my nose. I have, when awake though, swallowed bees, moths, ants and probably other things I can't remember. The bee was scary because I thought it would sting going down. I guess it didn't: I'm still alive.

  John, Bethlehem, USA

• My uncle told me this when I was about 4 or 5. I was so impresionable (and terrified of spiders) at that age that to this day, 30 something years later, I grind my teeth so badly at night trying to keep my mouth shut and the spiders out that I wake people up!! So glad to hear it's a myth. Maybe I can learn to stop grinding my teeth now!

  Michele M, Melrose, USA

• I sleep with my mouth wide open especially after a stressful day at work. I actually awoke one night with a full grown cockroach in my mouth! More amazingly, the "event" was captured in my dream hence my suddenly waking-up to find the thing in there. Of course I did not "eat" it up but swat it off. Spiders might end up the same way but not necessarily eaten-up.

  Nick P, Cebu City, Philippines

• Many insects fly into your mouth or nostrils while you are quite awake and before you know it, they are on their way into your stomach. Thank God for the consolation I have in the words of Jesus Christ that "if they (believers) drink (or eat, in the case of spiders) any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them". Mark 16:17. I am a believer.

  Ronke Akeni, Lagos, Nigeria

• No, I don't think that spiders crawl onto people's faces while they are sleeping because the person would feel it and wake up right away. Even if this were true you wouldn't know anyway so what's the big deal? It's not as gross as what's found in hotdogs or Jello.

  Ellie Asaga, Harbour Town, USA

• I don't know how John from Bethlehem (see above) has ended up with so many bugs on his face, but maybe he should think about cleaning his house.

  Amy, Bath, USA

• I dunno, but I have woke up because a spider was in my mouth.

  Macawayne, Glasgow, Scotland

• Last night a great big spider crawled onto my face twice around my mouth. My cat (who loves to eat spiders) was jumping about all over me. Definatly the spider was trying to get into my mouth - or else why would it return a second time?

  Sam Tuohey, Birmingham, England

• Uhh I don't even want to think about it! Now I wont be able to go to sleep & I just found out about it. I hate spiders. I dont know what to think anymore. Gosh.

  Yaneth, Washington, USA

• I could only wish to have a spider small enough to crawl into my mouth. Here in Iraqi Kurdistan's Erbil province we have spiders so large that it is not uncommon in the summer months to find our small children completely cocconed up and dangling from the rafters in the morning. Hence the ancient name of Erbil city - "Hawler." Meaning, "Land of the Three Kilogram Spiders."

  Rasul Ahmed, Erbil Iraq

• I don't know if they were spiders, but I have definately woke up an a few occasions after inhailing something. I think they might have been gnats. This happened to me this morning, 5/17/7. I snore, mouth wide open. Yum!

  Steve Smith, Albany, NY US

• I don't think its true. Surely we'd feel them and wake up? or they spider would be scared off as they seem to run pretty quickly from any kind of movement.

  Shane, Basingstoke UK

• I found half a spider by my pillow today, and I once woke up choking on something. Yummy.

  Louise, Rickmansworth England

• While I have never knowingly swallowed a spider, a wasp did crawl into my ear canal while I was asleep. It died and was encased in earwax--no joke. So, I figure that, if that could happen, I could easily have eaten several spiders while sleeping.

  Andrew Miller, Cambridge, MA U.S.A.

• Its true. but they are little harmless spiders

  Ashlyn, Milton, KY USA

• There is no question that we eat several bugs a year in our sleep--millions if you include bugs that are smaller than 20 microns (such as dust mites). The good news is that spiders are too smart to crawl into your mouth and get eaten. I live in Amherst Massachusetts right next to a large barn. MANY SPIDERS! Over the years I've gotten used to them. They're everywhere over here. I rarely DONT see one. Theres so many that I always see the smaller ones get eaten by the bigger ones. At night they sometimes crawl on my body but I don't care anymore. Few are poisonous, although I have been bitten by a brown recluse spider before. Here's why you wouldn't eat them in your sleep: 1. Have you ever breathed at a spider? If you're as much as 1 foot away, and you so much as exhale slightly in the spider's direction, it will run like hell as far away from you as it can and hide. For this reason spiders wouldn't get close to your breathing mouth when you sleep. 2. Spiders are smart. No really, I live with them. They have millions of years of evolution under their belts. Would they be thinking: "Oh, look, a very large mammal. Let's crawl into it's mouth." Of course not. 3. If spiders crawled into mouths, I would have known by now. I would have breathed one in and choked on one eventually. I've choked on other things like moths and gnats, but never spiders.

  Roman, Amherst MA

• I sleep with my mouth wide open. These two lips spread wide in the hopes that grandfather anansi will crawl in and weave his web of words like wonder upon a tongue coated by quicksilver. I dream of coyote chasing brer rabbit and fox skips through my closed eyelids...... don't know if its true but what the hell I've eaten worse.

  damien davies, silver city new mexico

• Everyone, the simple answer is YES! I'm a sleep therapist and study peoples sleep behaviour at their homes, with a video camera. On many occasions, I have seen small spiders crawl into peoples mouths while they are asleep. Sometimes the spiders crawl out, but the majority of times, the patient closes their mouth and the spider is never seen again. Seeing is believing!

  Blitz, Houghton, USA

• Yes. I woke up when a spider was crawling in my mouth. It was huge. I have taped my mouth shut every night since that happened. Almost died once.

  Mariah, Blairstown, USA

• Ahh well two nights ago, my window was slightly open and when i woke up my ear really hurt and i felt around and on my ear lobe inside it i felt a huge ball, like when you pierce your ears.. but i don't have them pierced! and i looked and their were two fangs marks and it still hurts and its swollen i have no clue what the hell it was.

  Miki, Omaha USA

• I've consulted with a couple of doctors about this before(on account of my arachnophobia) and they said 102 spiders are swallowed on average each year! Hopefully it wont turn out to b lethal! :)

  Dakota Bryant, Grand Juncion,CO USA

• There is no true way to tell unless someone viedo tapes a person sleeping for the whole year.

  Matthew Bowser , Dorchestor USA

• What I believe the true story is that when spiders decompose they turn into dust which eventually gets put into the air. Then, when you are asleep, when you inhale, the particles of the spider are "eaten" which in your lifetime eventually adds up to 4 spiders.

  Brian Smith, Florida USA

• About 30 minutes ago, I felt something on my face while I was asleep. I instinctively brushed it away. A few minutes later, I felt something on my face, near my left eye. I though it was just my imagination, but the I remembered seeing a spider on the wall earlier tonight. Half awake, I reached up and grabbed the object on my face, and threw it towards the floor. I reached over, got my super-bright LED flashlight, and looked around. On the edge of the blanket, near my stomach, was the spider. I recognized its markings, as the same one on the wall earlier. It was a wolf spider, which is a common spider in my area. I thumped the spider to the floor, and smashed it with my shoe. By this point, I was fully awake, and had the "willies". I thought I would do a quick google search to see if this is a common occurance. I guess it is! I don't know why it crawled onto my face, but it is rather cool tonight. Maybe it was looking for someplace warm, and my face happened to be it. Regardless, it freaked me out.

  Mike, USA

• Right now I feel as if I never want to sleep again!! Maybe I could purchase a face mask ... Sleepless in FL!!!!

  Karen , Apopka, FL, USA

• I have seen it with my own eyes. Maaany tonnes of these creepy crawlie bugs duuuude they're waay trippy maaaan. Sometimes I think it's gods way of stickin' it to the man, man!

  Roy Bottomley, Corazon de Oro Portugal

• This is legitimate: I conducted an experiment in the early 1990s on my five year old daughter. My conclusion was that approximately one spider is swallowed during sleep each week.

  Doctor J. Hestler, Jerusalem, Israel

• Dying by choking on a spider would be a dumb way to die.

  Priscilla Moreno, Fullerton, USA

• No, its not true because a. one spiders are smarter then that and b. it's just something that people say ...

  Briana Smith, Ukiah, USA

• Most probably the number of spiders swallowed would be influenced by where you sleep. If spiders are prevalent where you are the odds would increase that you would eat spiders. Most insects are not harmful to eat and are a good source of protein. We digest them in our lives through processed foods and worse than spiders make their way into the mix. We are more apt to swallow spiders and other insects while we are awake though than while sleeping as we are on the move and not dependent on them to come to us. It is nothing to worry about in most cases.

  Anne, Auburn, USA

• I find this somewhat true. Since during some nights I wake up out of nowhere, and happen to find a baby spider dangling on it's web, hanging from my ceiling, near my FACE. I suppose they're daddy long legs, because that is common in my household. Or a black widow, because we find those too sometimes. (shiver). Besides why would it matter? I hear that there are insect legs in chocolates, plus people around countries eat fried insect. (Which I find really disgusting).

  Janis Troeung, Rosemead, California

• 93% of facts are made up.

  Richie Spruck, Ardsley, USA

• Well, I am a tramp and was sleeping behind a builder's skip in Ireland and woke up with a slug up my nose. It was very difficult to get out.

  Geordie Allan, Newcastle

• I woke up to feel like something was crawling down my throat. Maybe it was a spider, maybe not.

  Treacy Jackson, Denver, Colorado, US

• I often leave a small piece of cheese in the corner of my mouth to attract spiders. I just love the way they tickle inside.

  Chris, Derby UK

• when i wolk up i saw NOTHING stop being cry babies!!!

  lucia, leminster bosten

• Actually this isn't a rumor. It's been recently tested and proven. And has even ended up on hit shows like MythBusters

  Grace, San Diego America

• I'm waiting for a spider to crawl in my mouth because the other night, whilst sleeping, I swallowed a fly :-s

  Jay Wheeler, Durham, England

• After reading all this stuff I never want to sleep again. I once found a huge black spider under my pillow. I screamed the place down, scared as hell, I really do hope that it's not true. I have swallowed two Daddy Longlegs before on different occasions while awake - I was running and they just flew into my mouth; felt sick afterwards.

  Rachael Louise Gerrard, Hampshire, UK

• I ate a spider on purpose. It was a money spider dancing on my spoon. I thought it might be good luck. It wasn't. It tasted like gone-off liquorice. I hate liquorice.

  Paul, Blackpool Lancs

• I ate a spider, more specifically,.a wolf spider in my sleep! Ugh! I know. I live in a house surrounded by oak trees, and my hubby and I had been getting bit and sick from a big spider judging by the fang placement on skin while we were sleeping. One morning I woke up feeling a little nauseas and like I ate something that didn't go all the way down, and I looked on the mirror thinking of the spider and saw a long segment of a spider leg in the groove between my front teeth. I got him!!! True story, approx. One year ago. Sweet dreams.

  Roe, Indianapolis Usa

• What is all this about urban legends? Is it really that hard to believe that you could possibly consume 4 spiders in your whole entire lifetime while you're asleep? That's possibly over 90 years. Just because it's not factual doesn't mean it's not possible.

  Kate, Cambridge England

• I read all of this and I laughed...my own opnion is that ITS NOT POSSIBLE!!!...majority of you on here woke up before it got near your mouth...dudes come on it could've just been passing through for all you know...false false FALSE!!!

  Bobbie Jo, Grants USA

• Great fun. I didn't read all but I like the fake Medical Examiner. His made up conclusions that it was in their sleep had me fuming but it was all made up. I like the part about the myth; spiders use their web to come down from the ceiling to drink your spit! That was how I heard they got in your mouth! So hilarious. It is just picking on man's best friend, in the small creature world---they consume more insects than all other insectivores.

  randall smith, rockford, il winnebago

• I like spiders. Take that any way you like. Besides, with rat poison in tobacco, fecal matter in foods, & goodness knows whatever else in water, I think spiders should be the last thing we worry about ingesting.

  Toney IV, Houston, Tx. United States

• What Roman said is exactly what I thought. You breathe in the direction of a spider and it runs away. Now think when you're sleeping, you are constantly breathing through your mouth or nose. If a spider goes towards your mouth, no matter which way you are breathing, it will feel the breath and clear off. Also if a spider would climb into your mouth (and also it's too wet in your mouth- spiders never go into wet places-just damp at most) surely it would climb into your nose or ear too? But how often do you blow your nose and see spider parts? I highly doubt it is often. I'm sure that it's likely to happen at least once in your life but as for even once or twice a year? I highly doubt it. It is not a common thing to happen. Plus spiders linger around more still, dead-like things or places. It's not common to find spiders in your bed when you are or have been sleeping on it. Hell, even if I leave my bed for several weeks when I'm on holiday, so far I have never seen a spider on it dead or alive. They clearly prefer room corners or tight secluded areas, generally cold or a bit damp. Just my observation. :)

  Steven,

• Yes it is possible in my opinion cause I found about 2 spiders and 1 scorpian on my bed in less than a week

  Robert Steiger, Brownfield Texas Usa

• After reading all the comments, I have concluded that there are obviously more courageous spiders in Scotland and England...because that seems to be where the most spiders are consumed! God Bless the USA!!!!

  Vonnie, Ft Oglethorpe GA USA

• i myself am not a huge fan of spider, if i see the odd one in my room im not going to go up and have a chat with it, but reading all this stuff has made me never want to sleep again,yes its never bothered me before, until a spider got loose in my room, and my only conclusion is that i ate him and now hes missing,most of the facts people have posted have scared me stupid. i believe it is true unfortuantly theres nothing i can do, i cant describe how scared i am.

  Sinead, donaghmede dublin

• Well it is actually true but these spiders are called common house spiders, if you open your mouth one time they may or may not crawl in but you only eat 8 per year. Thats what people say....

  Alicia, oklahoma

• As much as I would like to say that we don't "eat" spiders in our sleep, I think we do. I hate spiders with a passion! It really freaked me out to wake up with one on my pillow right next to me. I hope to never experience that again!

  Whitney , Oklahoma USA

• I've eaten a fried Tarantula while on holiday in Cambodia (as someone pointed out in an earlier post) So, I can say I've had at least 1 and I was fully conscious. It was quite tasty actually.. So I don't mind if I get a few more in my sleep :)

  Alexander Roan, London UK England

• I don't believe its true. I just believe that its a myth.Number 1 wouldn't you feel it moving around when your awake

  Karina, NJ Usa

• This is all false.You eat more spiders in a Milky Way candy bar than you do in your sleep.

  Ryan, Long Island, New York USA

• It is just plainly unbelievable that such insignificant information generates such a plethora of responses, waste of time, and volumes of analysis. I do include myself of course as I have months to contribute to a blog......

  bt, nyc usa

• Ummm, now I am sleeping with my mouth closed, ear plugs in and nose under the duvet! Scared shittlessss!!!!! Someone tell me it's not true and give me a scientific reason why it's not!

  Ella spencer, London England

• I just hope that I don't eat spiders in my sleep I am an 11 year old girl seeing these comments makes me want to never go to sleep again!!!!!

  Malaysia, Roanoke Virginia Virginia

• Is it true that if you eat 5 or more spiders you develop superpowers? What was that guy's name again? Spiderman? I think it was Spiderman. But I would want to be called Spider-Woman!!!!

  Dawn Schlottmann, Apokpa, FL United States of America

• Dosen't anyone sleep with there mouth closed?

  Taya, Minnsota USA

• Well,I believe that it is true. With all of the encounters with spiders that I have had over the past several years, I believe that they are everywhere. I see them all the time and I am constantly spraying. I have seen spiders crawl on my pillow, in my bed, and have awoke to something small and black biting my skin. I woke up from a sound sleep the other night and I felt something on my right upper lip and then BAM, something crawled really fast up my right nostril and hit the back of my nose really hard. It hurt like hell and it scared the crap out of me. I am also "arachnaphobic" so that didn't make me feel any better. Yes, I sleep with my mouth closed.

  Suzanne, Abilene U.S.A.

• If you are in the habit of keeping a glass of water on your bedside table & drinking from it in the dark then you will occasionally swallow a spider because they crawl into it & drown.

  finnw, Bristol England

• I awoke with a spider leg, wedged between my teeth! I am a sleep eater. This spider waited till I was settled! After I ate while asleep! Diabolical, I think they know when to strike! I read that we actually have a chemical in our breath that tells them we need a spider in our blood. Which is why it happens!

  Marcia Husband, Tigard USA

• In my many years of non medical practice I have came across many unanswered questions. A spider will be to afraid to enter a mouth that has an odour such as from those who sleep. See, the flux capacitor has 3 branches, inside the fuel bearing is a series of aluminium magnets and single tower corn rod. The alcohol from the rod is distributed through the oral curvature of the titanium larnyx and the molar synopsis of the 3 stage over bite, conflicts with the intestenal track of the blinker fluid of the lower jawline. So there is no way you would ever know if you swallow a spider.

  anthony, phoenix usa

• Many years ago, I made up a story to circulate on the internet, that a fictional journalist called Lisa Holt...

  David Brooks, Tokyo Japan

• REALLY? SERIOUSLY , WHEN I HAPPENED UPON THIS I NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD IN MY LIFE AND GOT A MENTAL PICTURE OF EVERYONE STAPLEING THEIR MOUTHS BEFORE THEY FELL ASLEEP, WHILE THOUSANDS OF FLOATING SPIDERS WERE LURKING FOR OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU , I NEEDED TO LAUGH TODAY.

  KIMBERLY LADNER, SALEM USA

• Once while brushing my teeth one morning, I spat out the toothpaste and there was a spider in it. Of course I was staying in a motel...and I snore.

  Christian, Sacramento USA

• This is totally True. I would know. I woke up one morning with a plugged up nose and when i blew my nose a whole spider came out. It was died thank got but it freaked me out. Also it is said around here that the only time a spider or other insect (mainly spiders) go up our nose or other crevess, they go there to die. This i thought was a myth but it happened to me

  John Doe, Wisconsin USA

• Will never sleep again!! And I really just don't like knowing that not only spiders but all sorts of other insects crawl around. I heard you can get sick from cockroaches.... I've had this cold and I'm really grossed out !

  billy scardd shytlss , texas texas

• It does happen, but who can judge on how many? Who's counting? I live near the woods and see black widows, wolf spiders, trap door spiders, jumping spiders, orb weavers, etc... Brown recluse may be the only I havent seen... yet... I have run through webs baiting my stands for the season coming up and have eating a few. I have been asleep and woke up for work to my throat feeling strange only to gag up while brushing my teeth and spit out a dead spider. It all depends on where you live, the climate and the factor of what kind leave near and around you. I have swallowed bees in my drink before and sting me on the way down. I won't lose sleep or die worrying about it. Only be worried if you find stories of spiders eating us, not the other way around.

  Josh Glasgow, Princess Anne, USA

• I swallowed a mouse once while I was asleep. I only woke when the cat frantically tried to retrieve it from my mouth. I have the scratch marks on my chin to prove it.

  Albert van Niekerk, Ellisras, South Africa

• Some people eat spiders for dessert and wouldn't mind a free bedtime snack.

  Dana Ladd, California USA

• Yes, i think we do eat 8 spiders in our lifetime in our sleep. It seems unbelievable but it is true. Our body reflexes us to swallow even in our sleep. It can crawl in there and die. It doesn't hurt us or whatever. We just decreased the population of spiders in our house. That is bad. We get more bad insects that do us harm. Spiders kill those insects. Anyways, we eat some small, tiny spiders in our sleep or sometimes they crawl in our ears or inside our noses

  Jannes Tagle, Manila, Philippines

• This is a myth made up by some girl. Anyone who believes this is wrong. Even if it is true, once the spiders get into your stomach they will burn from the acids inside you.

  Bethany Ray, London, England

• I can't stop laughing at Geordie Allans answer... Now THAT is serious. Hope you managed to get that slug out!! lol.. eee hahaha x

  Becca Elliott, Durham, UK

• I don't get it. How can a spider crawl in your mouth without you feeling it? Also where do they come from? Plus this is really scary when I was in bed and asleep something pinched my hand and when I woke up nothing was there. It couldn't have been an insect cause the pinch was too big and hard and it wasn't a spider and there was no-one in the room and it wasn't a throb in my hand. But this is the scary part there were no marks... Guys don't think I'm messing with you cause it did really happen

  Tom Gould, Hove, UK

• This is why I sleep with duck tape over my mouth now when I sleep.

  Zach Raidersbaby, Salinas, United States

• The comments are getting funnier and funnier. The gullible people still posting don't realize that many of these postings of "true stories" are tongue-in-cheek. Love the Iraqi guy's comment about his small children being strung up in spiderweb cocoons due to the humongous size of the spiders.... No, people, eating spiders while sleeping is rare!

  Karen Hansell, Redwood Valley, United States

• It's absolute nonsense. The spider would immediately sense danger, not least the vibrations of your breathing, and scarper!

  John Mcnally, Brighton, UK

• Actually yes, you do eat loads of spiders in your sleep. You are always within 10 feet of a spider, and though you usually don't swallow in your sleep, if your tongue is stimulated by the presence of a spider, you are far more likely to swallow than to wake up, similar to how you are far more likely to smack a bug that landed on you than you are to wake up. Usually spiders avoid humans, viewing them as predators, but every now and again a spider will crawl over your face while you sleep, and sometimes it will go near your mouth and fall in due to your breathing and land inside your mouth. The swallowing reflex is then triggered, and you literally eat the spider. It's a bit rare for all these events to happen in one night, so even though there is always a spider within 10 feet of you, on average you only swallow one every month to a month and a half, hence why the records show that you actually eat more like 8 to 12 each year.

  Paul Blainy, Detroit USA

• @Gordon, Glasgow Scotland: "Does anyone honestly think this project has/would ever get funded?" Given the plethora of irrelevant projects funded in the U.S., it's entirely possible.

  Ule Notknow, Isle of (Wo)Man UK... sort of

• I was just laying on my bed then I noticed this massive spider crawling on my bed, yes, I squished it and now the noise it made has really freaked me out its nearly 3am and there's no chance I'm going to get back to sleep! I have horrible thoughts it's going to come back to life and crawl in my mouth :( honestly thought I was going to have a panic attack when I saw it! Also, has anyone seen that episode of a kids program (forgot what its called) but basically this kid likes to kill spiders for fun then one day when he's sleeping loads of little spiders float into his mouth and tangle up his insides with their webs.. :S I know it's only a kid's program but that is pretty messed up.. X

  Samantha.j, Portsmouth England

• Yes. Of course. It's obviously true because imagine there are spiders in your room and sometimes yes they will crawl in to your mouth.

  Jessica Long, Los Angeles, US

• I woke up last night and felt something in my mouth, I reached in with my fingers and it was a small spider. In fright I threw it and it climbed up the wall. I've cleaned out my bedroom today and couldn't find it. I hope it's gone!

  Leanne, Gold Coast Australia

• Before going to sleep last night my girlfriend noticed a daddy long legs spider in its web in the corner of the room about a metre above where we sleep. She asked me to remove it but I said do not worry it will be fine. She alerted me to this 'fact' that we sometimes consume spiders in our sleep. Well woke up in the morning and it was gone. The question would then have to be asked would a spider only spend one day in a spot before creating a web elsewhere?

  Sam Brown, Wellington New Zealand

• I don't think it's true. Im 11 years old, and never heard such a thing. But the thought still scares me so I sleep with tape over my mouth, earplugs and I sleep completely under my blankets.

  Alex, Smith England

• This statement has ben around my 6th grade class lately so its good to know that it isnt true and I can rub this in their stupid faces.

  Erin Castle, Horseheads,NY USA

• I agree with people who say don't worry about it.

  Brandon, retard gay

• I think it's true, but only if you have water or food near you when you sleep. This happened when I was about 6 years old. I had a cup of water behind my bed (I had a dresser behind my bed) and I awoke in the middle of the night to find a small spider hanging by its web VERY close to my mouth. True story.

  Nadia, Cincinnati Cincinnati

• Woww I really hope this isn't truee... I'm 11, and I have a bad bad bad fear of spiders, and I saw a fast spider in my room, I called for my father but he, took to long, then the spider hid. I'm terrified now! I guess no more sleep for me.....

  Samone, Muskegon USA

• I don't know what to think about all of this, but I do know it's freaking me out. At 6am this morning while in bed I felt something on my back. I woke my fiancee and told him to turn on the light. There was a huge red-brown spider with a big bubble on its back in the bed with us. I'm ready to move. I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight or ever again! Who's to say if I hadn't seen it that it wouldn't have gone into my mouth.

  Amanda Blanchett, Michigan, US

• Well, I hate spiders too but it is a myth usually you will spot spiders in your room and take them outside. Necessarily you might swallow two or three in your life if you live in a dirty house. If you are camping maybe so because you outside. I am nine and came up with this idea. Also you should be more worried about chemicals in your food because I bet you have eaten a bug in your salad. If you store food in your room it is more likely that a spider will come in your mouth. Please don't worry guys, it is a myth.

  Tala Kabbani, Charlotte, North Carliona, US

• I have sat and read every one of these answers. I don't know if it's true but it has totally freaked me out. I don't even want to sleep now. How could anyone think it's okay to swallow a spider?

  Alana, Belfast, Northern Ireland

• Although it's not pleasant to know you have swallowed a spider in most cases, it must be alright if you don't know you swallow them but are still okay.

  Greg, Krugersdorp South Africa

• "To demonstrate her point, Holst offered her own made-up list of equally ridiculous "facts," among which was the statistic cited above about the average person's swallowing eight spiders per year, which she took from a collection of common misbeliefs printed in a 1954 book on insect folklore." Spiders are not insects.

  never_to_return,

• Last night I awoke to find something crawling along the left side of my forehead. Automatically, I frantically threw my hand to my forehead and accidentally squished it, causing its guts to ooze all over my face. Pulled my hand away and realised what it was ... a black tunnel web spider. I now sleep in a onesie that zips over my head so that my whole body is protected.

  Gertrude Alexander, Dunedin, New Zealand

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What Is the Average Number of Spiders a Person Swallows

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-23997,00.html

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