Is it true you swallow seven spiders in a lifetime?

Question

...While sleeping ??

Answer 1

From the Straight Dope website:

Realistically, the average number of spiders swallowed at night per person per lifetime is probably less than one. After all, most people breathe while they sleep (at least I do) and spiders, like virtually all arthropods, flee from breath. After all, there are lots of vertebrates that EAT arthropods, and if you're an arthropod and something is breathing on you, it's not a good idea to stick around.

it would be a miracle for a spider to end up in anyone's mouth while they're sleeping, except for one rare circumstance--when a spider egg sac hatches indoors. At that point, you can have hundreds of microscopic spiders, a millimeter long or less, leaping into the air in a short time span (under an hour total) and trying to ride the air currents to freedom. This is as known as "ballooning"; you may remember it from Charlotte's Web. If you're in a house where a bunch of microscopic spiders are ballooning around, you MIGHT accidentally inhale about a dozen one night, IF the air were circulating sufficiently for them to get airborne and stay there long enough to drift in front of your face. The odds of such a thing are obviously quite small, but it surely happens to someone somewhere from time to time, and that will boost the average

The majority of people probably never swallow ANY spiders in their sleep, so the statistic will be composed of a fair number of people (still a tiny minority) that swallow one or two by accident, plus a vanishingly tiny handful of people who swallow a large number, due to a freak occurrence.

Answer 2

Ok, that is seriously scary O.o

Well, all I swallowed was a fly while riding my bike on a camping trip, don;t ask anymore.

Well, I highly doubt that...except on America's Funniest Home Videos, people do swallow spiders.

But hopefully, I won't and never will.

Answer 3

Sounds like an urban legend, but I've never heard that.  Never met anyone whose swallowed any spiders while awake or asleep, so going with no.

Answer 4

no, i doubt this. i seriously hope not anyways. spiders gimme panic attacks

Answer 5

No, I just read this recently and they said its very unlikely for spiders to go into your mouth, because you are breathing and they would feel your breath and think it would be danger for them so they will not, and they said even if a spider does go in your mouth, our tongues are very sensitive and we would feel a tickle when we are sleeping and most likely bite down and push out so the spider would be a goner anyways but it said it most likely doesn't happen, but then I ran into this at the same time and you probably don't want to hear this because it still gives me the creeps, Spiders and bugs crawl into your ear more because it looks like a good home to them, dark and cozy and people were telling there stories on bugs getting in there ears. eewww I wish I never read that and sorry to have to tell everyone else as well. take care.

Answer 6

I never heard of this before. Besides, if each person is asleep, then how would they know?

Click on the source link I posted below for more information about a different but similar version of this.

Answer 7

That's a rumor. I've heard you eat them in your sleep, but an spider near your mouth would be scared away by your breath as you exhale. It is possible to eat them in foods, though, so make sure you wash your veggies and don't leave your plate out in the open for long! :)

Answer 8

No that is wrong because it is undecided until you die.  It's an average of 1 every ten years assuming you will live to be 70, but the rule of 7 spiders also assumes you sleep with your mouth open for the entire 70 years of your life.  You have to consider that sleeping habits change with life and health.  The spiders can craw through your nostrils, your ears but will be blocked by your eardrum.  There are other orifices but they are rather small.  The likely hood of a spider entering your mouth or nose is increased by your breathing and inhale breath versus and exhale break.  If your inhale is longer than your exhale you might be swallowing more than 1 every 10 years.  If a spider goes through your nose is that really swallowing?  Once it gets past the back of your throat it goes to the same place, but I don't think the falls under the definition of swallowing, but it is still spider intake.

Ultimately, your concern should be how many spiders have entered you while sleeping and are you over your average or do you need to catch up. The most important concern are what type of spiders are these since some are more dangerous than others.

If you are sleeping and you really don't know, isn't it better that you never find out for the sake of sanity.

Answer 9

Unless the spider's family filed a missing person report, who would know about one such tragic demise, let alone seven per person per lifetime?  So although I don't believe it to be true, I just ate seven of them to get if over with in case it is true.

Answer 10

Doubtful.  How would such a statistic be arrived at scientifically?

Answer 11

In Cambodia they eat big ones deep-fried.  Probably more than seven, too.

Answer 12

It is quite likely, as most people sleep with their mouth open.  (or that is what it says on Google!)  so yeah, I should think so.