Sleep easy on this one
The swallowed spiders story is one of the most repeated bug myths around, and there’s no science behind it.
It’s a myth.
No study has ever found that people swallow spiders while they sleep.
You scare them off.
Breathing, a heartbeat and snoring all send vibrations spiders read as danger.
Keep beds clear.
Fewer insects, less clutter and sealed gaps keep spiders out of bedrooms.
No, you don’t eat spiders in your sleep. The popular claim that people swallow eight spiders a year is a myth with no scientific source, and spiders have every reason to stay away from a sleeping person.
Spiders are covered on all of our home pest control plans, including brown recluse. Here’s the truth, where the myth came from and what actually keeps spiders out of your bedroom.
Do you eat spiders in your sleep? Truth or myth?
It’s a myth. There is no study showing people eat spiders in their sleep, and nobody has ever counted spiders swallowed by sleeping people.
Could a spider ever end up in a mouth? It’s possible, but it would be a rare accident, not a yearly habit.
Where did the 8 spiders a year myth come from?
Nobody knows exactly. The claim was already making the rounds in trivia lists and chain emails by the late 1990s.
For years, the most shared “origin” was a 1993 magazine column by a writer named Lisa Holst, who supposedly made up the stat to show how fast fake facts spread. That story turned out to be fake too. A fact checking site later admitted it invented Holst as a joke, and her name is an anagram of “this is a big troll.” So the myth about the myth was itself a myth.
What’s the reality?
To a spider, a sleeping person is a huge, warm animal that never stops moving. Spiders feel vibration through their legs and treat big vibrations as danger.
- Your heartbeat and breathing shake the bed all night.
- Snoring sends even stronger vibrations.
- Warm, moist breath near your mouth is a place spiders avoid.
House spiders stay near their webs and hunt insects, not people.
Do spiders crawl on you at night?
Spiders can wander across a bed now and then, but it’s uncommon. A spider on a bed is usually lost or hunting an insect.
Bites while sleeping are rare too. If you’re waking up with bites, our post on bugs in the bedroom that aren’t bed bugs can help you sort it out.
How do I keep spiders out of my bedroom?
Cut their food supply and their hiding spots. Fewer insects means fewer spiders.
- Pull the bed a few inches away from the wall.
- Keep bedding off the floor and store items under the bed in sealed bins.
- Vacuum corners, closets and window sills.
- Seal gaps around windows and baseboards.
Our guide to what attracts spiders goes deeper.
How do we handle spiders?
On every visit we knock down webs, treat an exterior barrier and treat inside where needed. For brown recluse, we dust the attic from the access. If spiders come back between visits, re-service is free.
Worried about the spiders that do bite? Our spider page covers brown recluse and other Kansas City spiders.
Want to know which spiders do bite? Read about brown recluse spiders in Kansas City, or meet the harmless cellar spiders. Webs outside? See spider webs on eaves and porches.
Want fewer spiders in the house? Call 913-735-5451, answered 24/7, or schedule online. Most services can be scheduled same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost certainly none. The claim that people swallow eight spiders a year has no scientific source, and spiders avoid the vibrations and breath of a sleeping person.
Nobody knows who started the 8 spiders a year myth, but it was circulating in trivia lists and emails by the late 1990s. The popular story that a writer named Lisa Holst invented it in 1993 was itself a hoax.
No, spiders don’t crawl into sleeping people’s mouths in any normal situation. Warm breath and constant movement read as a threat to a spider, so they steer clear.
A spider bite while sleeping is possible but rare, usually only when a spider gets trapped against your skin. Most mystery bites turn out to be from other pests.
Yes, spiders, including brown recluse, are covered on every Rock Pest home plan. Techs knock down webs on every visit, and re-service between visits is free.
