Fact check: People swallow spiders during sleep

1. Summary of the results

The claim about people swallowing spiders during sleep is definitively false. Multiple expert sources, including Rod Crawford, an arachnid curator, explicitly state that this is "not even close" to being true ^[1]. There is no verified evidence - no documented study, photo, specimen, or medical record - of a spider crawling or attempting to crawl into a person's mouth while sleeping ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

• Scientific explanation: Spiders are actually terrified of humans and view them as part of the landscape, like "big rocks" ^[1]. They are highly sensitive to vibrations and would be deterred by sleeping humans ^[1].
• Origin of the myth: The "8 spiders per year" claim originated from a 1993 magazine article by Lisa Holst in PC Professional, who ironically created it as an example of how easily false information spreads online ^[3]. This context is particularly important as it reveals the claim was intentionally fabricated.
• Media sensationalism: Research has shown that 43% of online news stories about human-spider contact were written purely for shock value ^[4].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The perpetuation of this myth serves several interests:

• Media outlets benefit from sensationalizing spider-human interactions, as demonstrated by the high percentage of shock-value articles ^[4].
• Internet content creators benefit from spreading easily shareable, attention-grabbing "facts," even when false.
• The original statement's persistence demonstrates how misinformation can become deeply embedded in popular culture, even when it was initially created as an example of false information ^[5]. This makes it a perfect case study of how urban legends can persist despite clear scientific evidence to the contrary.