Truth or myth … do we really swallow spiders in our sleep?
Despite the nursery rhyme about the old lady who swallowed a spider that “wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,” we do NOT really swallow spiders in our sleep.
It is a complete myth.
Burke Museum busts the myth with this explanation:
“For a sleeping person to swallow even one live spider would involve so many highly unlikely circumstances that for practical purposes we can rule out the possibility. No such case is on formal record anywhere in scientific or medical literature.”
Think about it …
Does it make sense for a spider to crawl into your mouth? Would you crawl into the mouth of a predator that could end your life with a single swallow?
Of course not.
And while spiders don’t have the same brain capacity as humans, they certainly have a sense of self-preservation. They run away from things bigger than they are, not straight into their mouths.
Even while we are asleep, spiders perceive us as a threat. We make noises, like snoring, talking in our sleep, or even just breathing. We move around to get comfortable.
It’s just not in their nature for spiders to get close enough to a human for that human to swallow them while asleep.
Even though you aren’t in any real danger of swallowing spiders in your sleep, you probably don’t want to share your bedroom with spiders if you don’t have to.
And you don’t have to.
Contact us today for help controlling spiders in your home.
We’d love to discuss your specific situation in more detail and help you keep your home pest-free and safe for your family. Please contact us today for a free estimate! Call us toll free at (877) 844-2847 or simply fill in the request form on our Contact page.
We look forward to helping you.
Fun Fact: While we don’t swallow spiders in our sleep, some people do eat them on purpose. In Cambodia, fried tarantulas are considered a delicacy.
