Kids were told that during sleep, spiders crawl into their mouths and down their throats, consuming an average of eight per year.
There's no evidence that people regularly swallow spiders during sleep. Spiders actively avoid humans and view our mouths as dangerous traps, not attractions. A sleeping human's breath would be a deterrent. The myth likely originated as an internet hoax in the 1990s and spread through chain emails and forums. Most spiders people encounter while awake are deliberately avoided by the spiders.
Reception
Sources
- Snopes: Spiders in Sleep PRIMARY
- Wikipedia: Urban Legends REFERENCE
- Scientific American: Spiders Myth REFERENCE