A woman so terrified of spiders that she refuses to sleep unprotected has taken extreme measures—by setting up a bug tent on her bed to keep the tiny intruders away.
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Estella Kyriacou, 25, has been gripped by an intense fear of arachnids since childhood, and last year, her worst nightmare came true when she spotted one lurking in her bedroom in Clapham, London. The encounter was enough to send her fleeing—temporarily moving into a different room with her flatmate, Imogen Clarke, 26, just to avoid the unwelcome guest.
But when the time came to reclaim her space, she wasn’t about to take any chances. Instead of simply hoping for the best, she took action—ordering a bug tent from Amazon, the kind typically used for protection against mosquitoes, and securing it around her mattress like a fortress against eight-legged intruders.
Now, four months later, Estella has fully embraced her unconventional sleeping arrangement and has no intention of giving it up anytime soon.
“I haven’t seen a single spider since I started using the bug tent,” she admitted. “But honestly, even if one did get in the flat, Imogen and I are both too scared to deal with it.”
As a law student, she recognizes that her approach isn’t exactly a rational way to tackle phobias.
“I don’t think a psychologist would be particularly thrilled with my solution,” she joked. “I get that I’m just avoiding my fears instead of facing them.”
But for Estella, comfort outweighs logic.
“I know I’m dramatic, but at this point, the tent just feels normal to me,” she laughed. “Sure, I might be a little insane—but at least I’m self-aware!”
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