Do We Really Swallow 8 Spiders In Our Sleep Every Year?

Do we really inadvertently swallow 8 spiders every year while we’re asleep? What are the chances of creepy crawlies venturing into your cavernous snoring mouth? What is the science behind it all? Plus learn more as we investigate this long held belief.

#aprilfools #debunked #sleepfacts #funfacts #funscience

CREDITS
Researcher / Writer - Mark W
Researcher / Writer / Producer / VO / Presenter - Stu K
Illustrator / Animator / Editor - Ross G

Music By
Epidemic Sounds

SOURCES

[DebunkedOfficial]

Have you ever woken up to unexpected creature on your person?

[learnmoreabout]

I woke up to a cockroach running over my face once 😖

[SomeoneNotSus_]

If we do swallow spiders when we sleep, then thats just a free protein generator

[CapnBlud]

While comparing American house spiders to European house spiders, don't forget to also provide info on Austrailian house owner spiders.

[russellconn]

I have woken up at least 2 times in the night to find a spider hanging over my head. I don't know if they are doing it out of sheer bravado or insanity but it happens, so yes in my opinion you can indeed swallow spiders in your sleep.

[nschlaak]

I discovered a long time ago that this concept tricked me badly so that's why I fact check everything now before passing the info along. I really hate making retractions.

[xcoder]

Maybe the myth originates from the fact that many people do call any arachnid a spider. Mites are also arachnid, so they belong to the same biological class as all spiders do. And several thousands of those may in fact live in your bed (they eat dead skin cells and a bed where you spend 6-8 hours a day is a great source for those) and yes, you might swallow one of them every now and then, as a mite is smaller than 1 mm (less than 0.04") in size, so you would barely ever see it.

[lilphantom]

One night I was laying in bed on my phone and a spider crawled across my face 😣

[SammyDArt]

I've woken up 4 times in my life with a spider hanging inches over my head. The first time was when I was sleeping. And the last time was just a week ago when I was at my computer, I just so happened to have leaned to the side to grab something off the floor to see a spider hanging where my head was. Who knows what's happening when I'm asleep. 🤔

[Taskicore]

There's no way it could possibly be true. That would be an average of 64, 000, 000, 000 spiders suiciding every year lmfao

[daemonsoadfan]

One day when waking up in the dark, i reached for my glass of water, took a sip, and i started to feel something.. not liquid.. i spitted it out on the floor. it turned out to be spider legs

[noslengashi]

That's exactly why I subscribed. I love this channel 👍

[srice]

I never believed it because I figured there would never be a good way to really study this with a big enough population.

[Zomcubie-uwub]

Australians swallow millions of spiders a year probably. So this is true 😯

[wazkalia]

“average person eats 3 spiders a year" factoid actualy (sic) just statistical error. average person eats 0 spiders per year. Spiders Georg, who lives in cave & eats over 10, 000 each day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

[DeconvertedMan]

Being skeptical helps you to avoid beliefs like this. :D

[trey]

Damn I was hoping the ants I ate were getting along with them

[EtherealSki]

Nah you cant fool me, i woke up so many times seeing a spider going down to my face like spiderman

[HexQuesTT]

Average person eats 3 spiders a year actually statistical error. Average person eats 0 spiders per year. Spiders Georg, who lives in cave & eats over 10, 000 each day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

[Wormweed]

My sisters ex woke up to a spider crawling on his boxers, and his response was naturally to smack it, and his nuts in the process.