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Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: vicogden on May 11, 2011, 08:18:29 am
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I don't remember how many times I've read on a blog or other site about how many spiders we "eat" while sleeping. But is this just a myth, or is it the truth? If you don't want the answer, don't read on!
The truth is that, although it is true there are billions of humans who sleep at night and billions of spiders who work the graveyard shift while we sleep, the probability of actually "eating" a spider by having one crawl in your mouth during your slumber is very, very low. You can find this information on various sites available on the Web, but common sense has got to apply as well: How many times has a friend or loved one told you he or she has been awakened at night with a spider trying to make it's way into his/her mouth?
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While watching a television series about urban legends, they explained that spiders were not crawling into people's mouths when they sleep. People were eating spiders because spiders were in the food they eat. They got into the food while in factories and could not be removed because they were too small.
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I find it hard to believe and know that it would wake me up because I'm a light sleeper!
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It could probably happen if you sleep with your mouth open and it crawls or drops in and you would never know since your asleep.
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I think that there is a very slim chance of a person eating a bug or spider while sleeping. But one will never know since that person is asleep. :)
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im sure its true, just the other day i was taking a nap and woke up with a spider about to land on my face
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That quiet alarming dude....and kinda scary too.
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EW. i most certainly HOPE i haven't ever eaten a spider! it's a possibility that i would rather not think about ;p
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Oh great, now I am going to have nightmares about eating spiders. Thank you very much. LOL!!! Seriously though, I think that is a bunch of bull dung. If a spider gets close to a sleeping persons open mouth I think they would be deterred by the warm breath. Most spiders avoid humans when possible. The thought that a spider would actually crawl in your mouth while your sleeping gives me the *bleep*.
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I most certainly hope we don't eat spiders but apparently we eat approximately 7 spiders when we are sleeping in a year! Isn't that disgusting! I mean ew, who would ever think of that.. I wonder how they figured this one out! And in all honestly if we eat about 7 spiders in a year what else falls into our mouth!! Ugh! I don't even want to know lmao
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Just to follow-up, unless you are really hungry, the chances of eating one during sleep is VERY LOW. Here's an excerpt from www.brownreclusespider.org:
"Facts show that spiders do climb onto the beds when hunting at night while humans are sleeping. They go in search for insects but, of course, not humans. Yet, spiders bite humans in their sleep, because people tend to move while sleeping and roll onto them (learn more in Why spiders bite while humans are sleeping?). Now, spiders do hide in small dark places, especially holes, and a mouth wide open of a person sleeping in his bed just appears to be a good place to hide. Even though this is partly true, there are some details that should be taken into consideration. First of all, we are breathing. This means hot air going in and out from our mouth, and spiders know --in the way spiders are able to know-- that such a hole is not a safe place. There is also another thing: despite the fact that a person can be asleep, the inside of a mouth is quite sensitive, and anything with legs crawling into our tongue will be enough to wake us up. Even if the person does not wake up, he will probably push back the spider with his tongue, close the mouth immediately when something is over his face or take it off with a sleepy hand."
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Just to follow-up, unless you are really hungry, the chances of eating one during sleep is VERY LOW. Here's an excerpt from www.brownreclusespider.org:
"Facts show that spiders do climb onto the beds when hunting at night while humans are sleeping. They go in search for insects but, of course, not humans. Yet, spiders bite humans in their sleep, because people tend to move while sleeping and roll onto them (learn more in Why spiders bite while humans are sleeping?). Now, spiders do hide in small dark places, especially holes, and a mouth wide open of a person sleeping in his bed just appears to be a good place to hide. Even though this is partly true, there are some details that should be taken into consideration. First of all, we are breathing. This means hot air going in and out from our mouth, and spiders know --in the way spiders are able to know-- that such a hole is not a safe place. There is also another thing: despite the fact that a person can be asleep, the inside of a mouth is quite sensitive, and anything with legs crawling into our tongue will be enough to wake us up. Even if the person does not wake up, he will probably push back the spider with his tongue, close the mouth immediately when something is over his face or take it off with a sleepy hand."
THANK GOODNESS I am not eating spiders! As you said, they are out there at night so I probably have had one (or two... LOL) crawl on me. But at least I am alseep and don't SEE them and my brain is "asleep" enough to not wake me up from their little spider feet walking on me. EEWWW!!
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how could anyone not feel something crawling in their mouth.Well Im a light sleeper anyway.
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I'm believing it is a myth. Hoping, anyway.
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I do not believe that one bit. Has there ever been a suggestion that SOME PEOPLE SLEEP WITH THEIR MOUTHS CLOSED??? I think, maybe if people sleep while they are drooling all over their pillow, and plus, wouldnt the sleeper choke because they are breathing with their mouth and the supposid spider get sucked into the lungs? I mean REALLY when you think about it form every angle, it's most likely impossible. But a sliver of possibility.
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You may not have had it happen to you yet, but "common sense" will tell you that there have been many people who have woken up with spiders on their beds...like my husband. Spiders are a pretty common household pest, so it's only natural to assume that they could and WILL get ingested over the course of a lifetime. Maybe not 7 (depending on where you live), but definitely 1 or 2.
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I don't believe that. I sleep with my mouth closed, for one. And wouldn't you choke if a spider or anything crawled in your mouth and down your throat?
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That sounds so absolutely disgusting! :o But I'm sure we have had many little critters land in our mouths while sleeping. You never know what is creeping around your bed, no matter how clean you are. Spiders particularly--- they come out early spring in wooded areas, and they will get in your house. But still - the thought! EEch! Just drink a glass of water when you get up each day, wash it all down. Do spiders have any protein in them??? :P
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I am not really sure if we do or not. I have heard from several people that yes in fact we do eat them at night,
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Here's an interview with a spider expert from www.brownreclusespider.org:
It is commonly heard that a spider can crawl into our mouth while we are sleeping, and that we can actually eat that spider without taking notice of it. Brenda Gilmore, expert in spider bites and arachnids in general, sheds some light on this subject during the interview published below - all for the sake of our sleep.
Interviewer: Tell us, Brenda, how many people have asked you about the chance of eating a spider while sleeping in your whole career?
B. Gilmore: A LOT. It is in fact a frequent subject, and people's minds are very eager to believe and fear such things.
Interviewer: But why? Does it happen frequently? Have people been intoxicated or something?
B. Gilmore: I will tell you this: every night, there are at least 5 billion people who rest in their beds in the whole world, and even a bigger number of spiders which "work" at the same time. My answer is really a question: how many people do you know to have suddenly woken up with a spider trying to get into their mouths?
Interviewer: (laughs) I don't know a single person, but still the subject worries everyone
B. Gilmore: Yes. I think that the Internet has something to do with this myth and stories that are spread by word of mouth. Yet, no one ever gets to meet the actual people who suffered such an incident.
Interviewer: I understand. Still, the matter did not come out of nowhere...
B. Gilmore: Well... It is not impossible for such a thing to happen, but it is quite improbable. First of all, the mouth is very sensitive: the tongue, for example, is one of the most sensitive parts of our body. Imagine that something, not a spider but any insect, a cockroach, whatever you like...
Interviewer: Rather dislike...
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Here's the 2nd half of the interview started in the last post. More information is available on www.brownreclusespider.org:
B. Gilmore: (smiling) Yes, that is the exact point… something that is surely not a part of the bed or our body, something with razor parts, pin like legs, hair...
Interviewer: Oh God!
B. Gilmore: (smiling widely) Yes, but that is the point. When such a thing enters your mouth, it is automatically expelled by an unconscious defense mechanism. You would probably shut your mouth, turn your head away, move or use your hand to push that thing away, or even wake up at that very instant. But… chew it? Swallow it? Not a chance.
Interviewer: I see.
B. Gilmore: And I tell you this: spiders are not stupid. Ok, they are not clever, but they are clever enough to avoid a humid hole which is breathing. They do not enter the mouths of animals in the wilderness; neither do they enter the mouths of humans. They are trying to get their food, and so they tend to go to the light at night where insects gather, instead of going to dark, wet places such as mouths.
Interviewer: And that's fine for me.
B. Gilmore: If someone goes and puts food in your mouth while you are sleeping, do you think you will swallow it without waking up?
Interviewer: If it were chocolate, perhaps.
B. Gilmore: Oh, I didn't know you like it (laughing).
Interviewer: What can I say? I've got it under my skin.
B. Gilmore: Well, maybe I will try the experiment on you if I catch you sleeping.
Interviewer: is that a date? (laughs).
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I hope its not true!!!
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I wish delicious slices of watermelon would go into my mouth while i was asleep.
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thats kinda gross eating spider ...
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I doubt it.... I have never had anyone tell me about a spider crawling into their mouth... I HAVE swated one on my face when i was asleep i felt it crawl on me EWWW
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I am sure that I've never swallowed a spider in my sleep. However, I have been bitten by one is my sleep, my husband too! :'(
Not sure I believe that a person can eat a spider in their sleep.....wouldn't they wake up choking? :P
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I don't know anything about spiders, but I did inhale a fruitfly once in my sleep. After I got up I coughed and coughed and coughed for a long time and eventually coughed up a fruitfly. It was weird.
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could happen if you are a heavy sleeper and hang your mouth open drooling all over when you sleep... not sure what would compel a spider to crawl in tho... I agree it is more believable that we eat them in processed foods
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It may not have been a spider in your sleep or even a spider at all....but I guarantee every single one of us has eaten several bugs in our lifetimes. Could be in food, fly into your mouth while outside, land in your drink and then take a sip, whatever the case it's a fact we have eaten a few bugs. Yum Yum!!
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We don't even want to know what is in processed foods, and the Gov't is lax about what is acceptable to pass along to us. I hate spiders and have my house fumigated regularly. I hardly ever see any kind of bug, while my neighbors are plagued with big black spiders.
We do have Brown Recluse spiders. They get their name by "hiding". People I know that have been bitten get sick and the bite looks horrible as it festers up. Between the Brown Recluse and the Black Widow, I'll take the Widow any day. I'm more afraid of picking up bed bugs on my travels. Some of the nicer Hotels are being infested with bed bugs. "Shudder".
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I wish delicious slices of watermelon would go into my mouth while i was asleep.
:notworthy: :thumbsup:
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My daughter told her brother this the other day and now he is freaked out about it!!! What a gross thought!!!
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Here's an excerpt from Alfred Snider's Blogspot:
"This very widespread urban legend has no basis in fact. It exists in various forms; another common version is that you swallow an average of 20 in your lifetime. (At 4 per year, that would make a very short lifetime of 5 years...) A correspondent in Pennsylvania had heard a version that involved swallowing a pound of spiders (while sleeping) in one's lifetime. (That would be over 20,000 average spiders, for a lifetime of 5,000 years at the 4 per year rate).
For a sleeping person to swallow even one live spider would involve so many highly unlikely circumstances that for practical purposes we can rule out the possibility. No such case is on formal record anywhere in scientific or medical literature. Since this page first appeared, I have heard from one person who found a small harmless spider hiding in her ear (which is possible), another who claimed to have had one in her nose (but had no evidence that it wasn't already in her hanky), and one who claimed that when she was a young child a spider leg was found by her lips. But not one person has claimed that a spider entered his or her mouth."
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spiders, dust mites, dander, dust, all kinds of little microorganisms that are already living on your body! That's just the way it goes! :thumbsup: