You've probably heard this rumor: we supposedly swallow up to eight spiders a year while sleeping, with our mouths open and unconscious. It's a chilling thought, but rest assured: this myth is completely false. Science offers a much more reassuring version of reality.<\/p>\n
This myth dates back to the 1990s and owes much to the creativity of a journalist, Lisa Birgit Holst. In 1993, she published an article in PC Professional magazine listing "absurd facts," aiming to demonstrate how readily internet users share improbable information without verification. Among them was the idea that we swallow spiders in our sleep. No real statistics, no scientific studies: just a deliberately absurd example.<\/p>\n
And yet, the message spread like wildfire. Chain emails, forums, then social media\u2026 the little anecdote became a "truth" in the collective imagination. From the scientists' perspective, no evidence has ever been found to support this scenario. On the contrary, all observations refute it.<\/p>\n
From a biological standpoint, the idea is almost impossible. Spiders are creatures highly sensitive to their environment. The slightest movement, heat, or human breath immediately alerts them to potential danger. Their bodies are covered in sensory hairs capable of detecting vibrations and sounds, making them excellent intrusion detectors. An open mouth while sleeping, therefore, represents not an opportunity, but a signal to flee.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, their natural behavior contradicts this myth. Primarily active at night, they hunt tiny insects like flies and mosquitoes. Approaching a sleeping human face would be pointless: there's no reason to risk your life only to fall into the mouth of a sleeper. And if, by some improbable turn of events, a spider were to touch your face, your reflex would be immediate: even in deep sleep, unusual contact usually triggers instant awakening.<\/p>\n
Rod Crawford, curator at the Burke Museum of Natural History in Seattle and a spider expert, sums it up perfectly: "Spiders do not intentionally approach a sleeping person."<\/em> Scientific American and numerous other science media outlets confirm the consensus: the idea is purely fictional and biologically unrealistic.<\/p>\n The success of this rumor stems from a simple mechanism: it plays on our instinctive fears. Who hasn't shuddered at the thought of a small animal crawling on them while they sleep? Our brains retain shocking or disgusting information better, a reflex inherited from evolution to protect us from danger.<\/p>\n Furthermore, in the digital age, intriguing or frightening content circulates much faster than scientific facts. The myth of the swallowed spiders has all the ingredients to go viral: sleep, a feared animal, and a supposed "hidden truth." Behind this anecdote lies a valuable lesson: verify your sources and remain critical of sensationalist information.<\/p>\n In short, sleep soundly, really, because no scientific study supports this idea. Spiders naturally flee from humans and have no reason to crawl into your mouth during the night. So, the next time someone mentions these famous eight annual spiders, you can confidently reply: it's an urban legend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You've probably heard this rumor: we supposedly swallow up to eight spiders a year while sleeping, with our...","protected":false},"author":8394,"featured_media":432792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97760],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-431596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-animaux"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/avalons-nous-vraiment-araignees-en-dormant-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/avalons-nous-vraiment-araignees-en-dormant-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/avalons-nous-vraiment-araignees-en-dormant.jpg","author":{"name":"L\u00e9a Michel","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1721220128171-96x96.jpg"},"categories":[{"term_id":97760,"name":"Animal life","slug":"animaux","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":97932,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Animal life section of The Body Optimist covers pets<\/strong> and wildlife with curiosity and care: cat and dog behavior, animal welfare, everyday health and safety, responsible adoption, and the insects and critters in our homes and gardens. Our articles regularly draw on advice from veterinarians and research by scientists to help you understand animals better and live alongside them in harmony.<\/p>\n Several common foods are toxic to dogs and cats, sometimes even in small amounts. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains theobromine, which their bodies struggle to eliminate. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. Onions, garlic, shallots and leeks, raw or cooked, damage red blood cells. Xylitol, a sweetener found in some chewing gums and sugar-free products, is extremely dangerous for dogs. Alcohol, caffeine and cooked bones, which can splinter, are also off-limits. For cats, lilies are especially toxic, pollen included. If your pet swallows something harmful, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control service right away.<\/p>\n We see animals as sentient beings, not accessories. We talk about responsible adoption rather than impulse buying, respecting each species' needs rather than following trends, and watching wildlife from a distance, without feeding or disturbing it. Heartwarming stories have their place, alongside practical tips for life with your companion. Our articles do not replace a visit to the vet, the only professional who can make a diagnosis.<\/p>\n The right choice depends more on your time and lifestyle than on square footage. An indoor cat adapts well to apartment life if it has toys, scratching posts and high perches. A dog, whatever its size, needs to go out several times a day. Rabbits and guinea pigs are very social and do best in pairs or groups, with room to run around.<\/p>\n A healthy pet eats and drinks normally, plays, grooms itself and keeps its usual sleep and bathroom habits. Any sudden change should get your attention: loss of appetite, unusual hiding, new aggression, excessive licking, limping or trouble urinating. If you notice any of these signs, see your vet, and don't wait if you're in doubt.<\/p>\n Don't feed it or force it to drink. If you can do so safely, wearing gloves, place it in a ventilated cardboard box in a quiet, dark spot, then quickly contact a wildlife rehabilitation center or a veterinarian. A healthy baby bird that has fallen from its nest is often better left where it is: its parents usually keep feeding it.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Help protect biodiversity every day with the Green<\/a> section, and create a home where people and pets live happily together with the Decor<\/a> section.<\/p>","parent":0,"count":204,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":97760,"category_count":204,"category_description":" The Animal life section of The Body Optimist covers pets<\/strong> and wildlife with curiosity and care: cat and dog behavior, animal welfare, everyday health and safety, responsible adoption, and the insects and critters in our homes and gardens. Our articles regularly draw on advice from veterinarians and research by scientists to help you understand animals better and live alongside them in harmony.<\/p>\n Several common foods are toxic to dogs and cats, sometimes even in small amounts. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains theobromine, which their bodies struggle to eliminate. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. Onions, garlic, shallots and leeks, raw or cooked, damage red blood cells. Xylitol, a sweetener found in some chewing gums and sugar-free products, is extremely dangerous for dogs. Alcohol, caffeine and cooked bones, which can splinter, are also off-limits. For cats, lilies are especially toxic, pollen included. If your pet swallows something harmful, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control service right away.<\/p>\n We see animals as sentient beings, not accessories. We talk about responsible adoption rather than impulse buying, respecting each species' needs rather than following trends, and watching wildlife from a distance, without feeding or disturbing it. Heartwarming stories have their place, alongside practical tips for life with your companion. Our articles do not replace a visit to the vet, the only professional who can make a diagnosis.<\/p>\n The right choice depends more on your time and lifestyle than on square footage. An indoor cat adapts well to apartment life if it has toys, scratching posts and high perches. A dog, whatever its size, needs to go out several times a day. Rabbits and guinea pigs are very social and do best in pairs or groups, with room to run around.<\/p>\n A healthy pet eats and drinks normally, plays, grooms itself and keeps its usual sleep and bathroom habits. Any sudden change should get your attention: loss of appetite, unusual hiding, new aggression, excessive licking, limping or trouble urinating. If you notice any of these signs, see your vet, and don't wait if you're in doubt.<\/p>\n Don't feed it or force it to drink. If you can do so safely, wearing gloves, place it in a ventilated cardboard box in a quiet, dark spot, then quickly contact a wildlife rehabilitation center or a veterinarian. A healthy baby bird that has fallen from its nest is often better left where it is: its parents usually keep feeding it.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Help protect biodiversity every day with the Green<\/a> section, and create a home where people and pets live happily together with the Decor<\/a> section.<\/p>","cat_name":"Animal life","category_nicename":"animaux","category_parent":0}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8394"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431596"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":432793,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431596\/revisions\/432793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/432792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Why does this myth persist?<\/h2>\n
What you'll find in the Animal life section<\/h2>\n
\n
Which everyday foods are dangerous for dogs and cats?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What's the best pet for apartment living?<\/h3>\n
How can you tell if your cat or dog is healthy?<\/h3>\n
What should you do if you find an injured wild animal?<\/h3>\n
What you'll find in the Animal life section<\/h2>\n
\n
Which everyday foods are dangerous for dogs and cats?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What's the best pet for apartment living?<\/h3>\n
How can you tell if your cat or dog is healthy?<\/h3>\n
What should you do if you find an injured wild animal?<\/h3>\n