No, I’m not talking about the bed bug epidemic. I’m talking about the overwhelming, paralyzing fear of finding bugs and spiders in my bed at night. I don’t often talk about my childhood fear of bugs in my bed. In fact, my fear of bugs in my bed is one of those topics that I prefer to forget about.
I spent a lot of time as a little girl running around outside. I wasn’t concerned about getting dirt on my hands, and I actually enjoyed collecting rollie pollies and ladybugs and other harmless and cute bugs. As long as I was wearing shoes, and as long as the spider was below neck level, I didn’t mind squashing the occasional spider in the house to protect a younger sibling.
I’m not sure how my “bug dreams” started. I had a lot of trouble sleeping when I was younger and would often lay in bed for what seemed like hours, doze off, and then be jolted awake. It was always during those few moments of dozing off that I would have my half-awake, half-asleep bug dreams. I would imagine that I had opened my eyes, and above my head I would see spiders – sometimes dozens of them, sometimes just one big, hairy spider – descending toward my head. In the dark, I would cover my head and leap away, waving my arms for protection, and then flick on the bedroom lights. I never found a spider after one of those dreams, but I could never go back to sleep until I had searched my entire bed, under and in between covers and pillows. I would sleep with a sheet over my head.
I had enough of those bug dreams that checking my bed for bugs before going to sleep became a nighttime ritual.
I once told my mom about my bug dreams, and she admitted to having them before as well. Once, she swatted at a spider in a dream only to awaken when she really felt something. She turned the lights on and found a large spider on the ground next to her bed. Her story certainly didn’t help cure me of my fear of bugs in my bed.
I had the dreams less frequently as I got older, but they didn’t go away. Even as a married adult, I would thrash in bed and turn the lights on and scare CandyMan to death until I told him that I had simply had another one of my bug dreams. My sister didn’t help, either, when she shared a story about one of the first apartments she shared with her husband. She also woke to the feeling that there were bugs descending over her head. When she turned the lights on, she discovered the ceiling crawling with newly-hatched baby spiders. They spent the night in the car after that discovery.
I don’t remember the last time I had a bug dream. I’ll count it up to Mommy fatigue. Spiders are simply too small to awaken me anymore.
However, I admit I still put my shoes on before squashing a spider…..
That’s my bug story. Ready to share yours? The fabulous ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom are hosting a contest right now (until Tuesday, May 3) for two $500 Walmart gift cards, thanks to Raid. Hurry over to 5M4M’s Bug Story to share your story and enter to win (who couldn’t use an extra $500??). Plus, Susan’s Hawaiian cockroach story is totally worth the read.
This post has been sponsored by Raid’s Build a Bug Barrier — Raid Max® Bug Barrier creates a barricade around your home preventing 8 different types of insects from coming indoors. The story is true and all the words are mine. Unfortunately. The spider graphic is from Microsoft Office clipart online. He was a little less creepy than a real spider picture.
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Um, I love bugs. And during the summer my blog gets a little spider-intensive, just giving you some fair warning :)
These stories are just killing me. LOL
Eeek! Speaking of, have you seen this today? https://www.uspestcontrol.com/pest-nest/bed-bug-infographic-how-bed-bugs-are-taking-over-the-us
Now my skin is all creepy crawly .. eeeewwww
Spiders and bugs freak me out too. I don’t think I have ever dreamed about them though. You poor thing! That must have been hard to go through.
We humans are so HUGE compared to the tiny bugs….it seems so strange that so many of us are scared of them. But most of us are. Even my hubby kinda freaks out when I make him kill a bug for me. (:>)
Linda
Oh my gosh! I blogged about my fear of bugs today, TOO! Very funny. Also, I am just like you!