How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping for a Restful Night

How-To Guides
by How-To Guides

By Marilyn Syarto


Contrary to popular belief, house spiders rarely crawl into our mouths at night when we are sleeping. Science backs the fact that most spiders have no interest in humans and they are likely terrified of us because of the vibrations our bodily functions make during slumber, such as breathing and snoring. They also aren’t bloodsuckers so they have no reason to bite us unless they’re spooked.


But we completely understand—we know you’ll get more shut-eye if you know how to keep spiders away while sleeping. And you may not want to hear this, but your empty bed makes a perfect spider hideaway spot, which we'll explain more in the next section. For these reasons, we put together this guide with natural solutions for how to keep spiders away while sleeping, so you can get to dreamland without the spider nightmares.

large black spider next to coin

Photo via Tina Krenz


Why Do I Find Spiders in My Bed?

If spiders are so scared of us, why do they show up in our beds? They’re likely there by accident, not by choice. Spiders may use our dangling sheets and blankets as bridges that help them crawl up to what they think may be dark, comfy, undisturbed spaces where they can hide out. But usually, it’s more of a mistake on their part once they see how busy your bed can be.


If you see the rare spider rambling over your sheets, it’s likely scared to death and wants to get out of there as fast as possible. In reality, most spiders you’ll find indoors congregate in less active areas, such as basements, attics, garages, laundry rooms, behind large appliances, in high-up corners, inside wall and floor cracks, and under furniture that doesn’t jiggle or move too much.


Types of House Spiders

There are 45,000 known species of spiders in the world, but there are only a few of them that may make it indoors and under your sheets. It helps to know the different types of usually harmless (except for two of them) spiders that roam around your home. Here’s a list of the eight most common house spiders:


American House Spiders

Gray and small, these spiders are completely harmless, but you will know if you have them because they make the messiest and tangled webs of all spiders.


Daddy Longlegs

These bigger spiders are sweet and harmless (they have no venom), although they look scary because their bodies are tiny and their legs are so long. You’ll rarely—if ever—find them in a bed since it’s too confining for them and they prefer the outdoors, anyway.


Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders are large and hairy with prominent eyes. It’s rare that you’d catch one of these indoors; they prefer insects to just about anything else, and they’re harmless to humans.


Jumping Spiders

These tiny black spiders jump when they move, but they’re super harmless. Their bodies may be small, but their powerful legs allow them to jump several times their body length.


Sac Spiders

Ranging from yellow to tan in color, sac spiders are armless if they bite and they prefer hanging on the ceiling in corners within their own sacs.


Hobo Spiders

Hobo spiders are small and brown like many other spiders. They like hiding in clothing so you may see one in your bed, but if they are scared, they may give you a harmless bite.


Black Widows

Notorious black widow spiders are black with an hourglass shape. If they are in your house (which is rare), they stay in dark, hidden areas. If you encounter one and it bites, head to the hospital to treat the pain. 


Brown Recluse Spider

Like black widows, they will hide, rarely if ever in your bed, but do get to a hospital if you know that one bites you. These spiders have a violin-shaped mark on their back and are light brown in color.


Spider Benefits

Indoors and outdoors, spiders are beneficial to our environment. Spiders eat pesky and damaging insects such as roaches, aphids, moths, earwigs, and many other crop-damaging bugs. In fact, ecologists say that without spiders, the human race would likely encounter famine.


Safety Warning

If you’re unsure what type of spider the bite came from and have severe pain or a growing wound around the bite or if you are having problems breathing or swallowing, seek medical help ASAP.

person spraying blue spray bottle near door

Photo via Kelly-n-Tony


How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping Using Essential Oil

Spiders, much like other animals and rodents, tend to hate the smell of peppermint. If you like the fragrance, use this peppermint essential oil solution to deter spiders.


Tools and Materials Needed:

  • Spray bottle
  • Peppermint essential oil
  • Water


Step 1: Fill Bottle

Fill the bottle with water.


Step 2: Add Oil

Add 15 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil to the water-filled spray bottle. Tighten the lid and shake the bottle to blend the water and oil.


Step 3: Spray

Spray the mixture in corners, around and behind your bed, and around your closet.


Step 4: Repeat 

Repeat spraying the mixture every two days or so as the scent will dissolve.


Double Up on Peppermint

Soak peppermint tea bags to release the scent, and place them in cups in the corners of a room to stop spiders from entering the space. You’ll need to replace the tea bags every two or three weeks for continued protection against spiders.




How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping Using Vinegar

Vinegar is another low-cost spider deterrent—they don’t like the smell of the acetic acid in vinegar. We understand that most humans don’t necessarily love the smell of vinegar, either, so to mask the smell, you can always use citrus or peppermint essential oil in the spray bottle with the vinegar mix. Here’s what to do:


Tools and Materials Needed:


Step 1: Mix Vinegar and Water

Mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water in the spray bottle. Secure lid and shake well to mix.


Step 2: Add Essential Oil (optional)

Add 10 to 20 drops of your favorite essential oil(s). Shake again to mix.


Step 3: Spray

Spray where you see spider webs or where you know spiders congregate in and around your bedroom. The smell will dissipate so make a it habit to spray once every two to three days to control the spiders.


For extra protection, you can also soak cotton balls in the solution and place them in corners or near spider webs. If you do not have pets or small children, you can also place small bowls of the solution in the same areas where you know there are many spiders. The spiders will take up a new residence, preferably out of your home.




How to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping Using Citrus Peels

Luckily, spiders hate the scents that we tend to prefer—citrus! You can use either lemon or a zesty mix of citrus fruits to keep spiders away. The easiest method is to use a spray bottle with water and the juice of half a lemon blended together, then spray when needed around your bed. Here’s another more involved method:


Tools and Materials Needed:

  • Citrus fruit peels (grapefruit, orange, lemon, and/or lime)
  • Food processor
  • Labeled container


Step 1: Dry Peels

Let a few cups of citrus fruit peels dry in the sun.


Step 2: Grind Peels

Put the dry citrus peels in a food processor and grind them down to a granular form. Put the powder into a container and label it with a marker or adhesive label.


Step 3: Sprinkle

Sprinkle the powder around your bedroom every week or so to deter spiders.


More Tips to Keep Spiders Away While Sleeping

Keeping spiders away from your bed involves a little bit of sleep hygiene. Do the following for spider-free sleep:

  • Deep clean, dust, and vacuum away cobwebs, and declutter your home—especially the corners and under furniture where spiders like to hide and spin webs.
  • Don’t store things under your bed if you have a spider problem—the dark, undisturbed, and cluttered space will draw spiders to under your bed.
  • Use bed risers if you feel that spiders can latch onto your bed coverings too easily.
  • Don’t eat in bed—it will attract bugs which, in turn, may attract a spider.
  • Keep your bed and headboard a few inches away from the wall so spiders don’t have easy access.
  • Shake out your pajamas, robe, and even your slippers and socks before getting into bed.
  • Shake out your sheets, pillows, and blankets before getting into bed.
  • Keep dangling sheets, blankets, and comforters from touching the floor to eliminate bridges for spiders to climb.
  • If you see a spider perilously dangling over your bed, it’s likely a mistake on the spider’s part so be kind and relocate it outdoors.


What to Do If You See a Spider

Seeing one or two spiders every so often should never alarm you—unless it’s a black widow or brown recluse. If you are compassionate towards spiders, the easiest way to put them outside of your home without killing them is to capture them in a coffee can or cup with a lid and place them outdoors far away from your home.


When to Call a Professional

If you begin to see multiple spiders daily and they are becoming a problem in your daily routine, you may have an infestation. If the DIY methods we mentioned above don't work, then turn to a commercial spider repellent safe to use indoors. Your last resort should then be a professional pest control/extermination company that will eliminate the spiders and keep them from coming back. 


Have you found spiders in your bed and were able to get rid of them? Let us know if you used any of the above methods to keep spiders away or if you have your own way of shooing them away.

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2 of 3 comments
  • fantastic advices, thank uuuu so much for putzing all the information together🙏🙏🙏

  • Dee Dee on Aug 01, 2022

    OMG last night a RED spider crawled out from my kitchen drain on the side that did not have the disposal. Scared me to death. I poured hot water on it and sent it down the drain. Then Vinegar and salt and more hot water.


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