Is This Common Sleep Myth Really True?

Ever heard the myth that you eat spiders when you sleep? It seems that tale has been told for decades, but is there any truth to it?

If you’re like the majority of the population who very much fears spiders, this story may have scared you from sleeping, but the good news is that you can file this tale under myth and not worry any longer.

It’s no surprise that spiders can live in your household, whether you’ve seen them or their webs, you’ve definitely encountered them at some point in your home. Dr. Marianne Shockley who works at the University of Georgia’s entomology department explained, “This time of year, we start to notice spiders more in our structures and in our homes because it’s getting cool outside. They’re finding harborage, they’re finding a warm place. They’re going to be in those dark places, spaces that don’t get a lot of foot traffic or movement.”

Although many of us have a deep-rooted fear of spiders, the good news is that spiders do not like us either because we are not a food source for them. Lucky for us, spiders dislike our smell and our movements, so the likelihood of them crawling on our bed while we lay in it is pretty slim.

Shockley added, “You’d have to be in an environment with an enormous amount of spiders. Probably on a floor or a forest floor where you’d really have to be inundated with what’s coming and going overnight. I will go ahead and say, it is a myth.”

So, there you have – if you’ve been paranoid about sleeping because you were one of those who believed this long-lasting myth you can now get back to getting a good night’s rest knowing that the odds of you swallowing an eight-legged creature are incredibly minimal.