Yawning Wiktionary. Why do people yawn often: reasons

Each of us yawns on average 5-10 times a day. We start yawning in the womb, about 20 weeks after conception, and we yawn until we die. Not only people yawn, but also almost all mammals. Fish yawn before changing activities, penguins - during courtship; Horses, sea lions, tigers, dogs and cats yawn, not to mention the great apes, which often do so collectively. It seems that only giraffes and dolphins do not yawn - perhaps because they do not have a full stage of deep sleep: while one hemisphere sleeps, the other is resting.

Because yawning is so stereotyped and appears in similar forms in a wide variety of animals, it is considered one of the oldest mechanisms for regulating behavior. In 1838, Charles Darwin wrote in his diary: “The sight of a dog, horse, or man yawning makes me believe that all animals are built on the same pattern.” Clearly there must be some benefit to yawning. But the causes and functions of yawning have long remained a mystery to scientists.

Today we know that yawning is not just a sign of fatigue or boredom, but something much more interesting.

There are many scientific explanations for yawning. Yawning is thought to help maintain alertness during times of stress, regulate sleep-wake cycles, cool an overheated brain, or oxygenate the blood. Yawning, unlike laughing or crying, does not seem worthy of attention. Yawning is not very decent, but pleasant: on a hedonic scale, this activity is given 8.5 out of 10 points. But this is not where the matter ends. It turns out that yawning is not only pleasant, but also very useful.

Joseph Ducreux, fragment of the painting “Self-Portrait of a Yawning Man” (1783)
(source: en.wikipedia.org)

In voice therapy, conscious yawning has been used for decades as a way to reduce fear of failure and as a means of preventing throat hypertension. Some modern neuroscientists call yawning one of the most effective ways to eliminate nervous stress, increase empathy and focus. A good yawn is the best thing you can do for a short rest. This may seem strange, but yawning, among other things, is closely related to sexuality.

American neuroscientists Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman consider yawning to be a “powerful neural stimulator.” They even recommend incorporating yawning into stress management programs, psychotherapy, and contemplative spiritual practices, and using intentional yawning to improve memory and cognitive function. Yawning, in their opinion, increases empathy, and due to this it can improve relationships with other people:

“If you want to improve your sex life and stay together, learn to yawn.”

Brain scanning experiments have shown that yawning stimulates areas of the brain directly associated with empathy and social awareness, self-reflection and the awakening of memories. Yawning is extremely contagious: after seeing a person yawning, about 60% of people begin to yawn themselves. Just reading about yawning is enough to start indulging in this activity yourself. While writing this article, the author yawned many times, and not at all from boredom. Therefore, do not be surprised if this paragraph also uncontrollably made you want to stretch and yawn.

Physiologically, the process of yawning is quite simple: it is a long inhalation, followed by a short breath-hold, during which the air reaches the stomach. This is followed by a short exhalation, which is often accompanied by stimulation of the lacrimal glands - for this reason, some actors, preparing for a crying scene, begin to yawn vigorously backstage. When yawning, the volume of the nasopharynx increases several times and the Eustachian tubes are blocked, which temporarily almost deprives us of hearing.

Edgar Degas, "Two Ironing Women" (1884)
(source: commons.wikimedia.org)

Yawning first appears in the mother's womb (this can be clearly seen in ultrasound recordings), but acquires “contagious” properties only by the age of six. Perhaps yawning somehow helps the growth of the embryo - it makes the lungs grow and develops articulation of the jaw joints. But with age, yawning also acquires social functions. For example, some anthropologists suggest that, with the help of contagious yawning, groups of people learned to go to bed and wake up at the same time.

Yawning is not only a physiological act. By yawning, a person conveys a message to others. For example, that he is bored or that he is tired. As some ancient sources indicate, in India, yawning was part of courtship rituals (by the way, Adélie penguins also yawn during mating games). It is curious that males yawn more often in animals. Humans, unlike other species, remain sexually active throughout the year, and yawns are distributed approximately equally between men and women.

Psychologist and neuroscientist Robert Provin notes that in yawning, as in sex and sneezing, there is a phase of preparation and pleasant release:

“Once this business starts, it continues until the end, no one wants to interrupt this process.”

Yawning and sexual arousal release the same neurochemicals. Perhaps there is a common biological mechanism behind these two phenomena. This idea is supported by an unusual side effect that some people experience while taking antidepressants. Typically, serotonin reuptake inhibitors suppress sexual desire. But in some cases they cause severe yawning, accompanied by orgasm.

Some scientists suggest that yawning is related to the functioning of mirror neurons. It is known that the “contagiousness” of yawning depends on how close two people are to each other, and this pattern is observed not only in humans, but also in bonobos. We are more likely to respond to a yawn from a loved one than from a stranger on the subway. It is not yet known whether yawning together can act as an indicator of a good relationship. Therefore, do not rush to conclude that you have fallen out of love if your loved one has stopped yawning with you - perhaps you just began to tire him less.

The Dalai Lama also yawns.
(source: jp.wsj.com)

The mystery of yawning has occupied many scientists and thinkers, starting with Hippocrates. The famous ancient Greek doctor believed that yawning frees the body from harmful air and elevated temperature. To this day, yawning is often considered something reprehensible and indecent. In many European countries it was believed that during a yawn, hostile spirits could enter the body, so after a yawn one should make the sign of the cross over the mouth. In Muslim culture, it is believed that yawning is a sign of laziness and carelessness. If a believer begins to yawn during prayer, this means that the unclean is trying to distract and lead him astray from the righteous path.

As it is said in one of the Hasidic stories, the sound of a yawn is how Satan laughs at a person.

In medicine, it has long been believed that yawning is a reflex mechanism that turns on when there is a lack of oxygen. Taking a deep breath increases ventilation of the lungs, saturates the blood with oxygen and thereby reduces drowsiness - this is why we yawn especially sweetly before going to bed and after waking up. This opinion was first expressed by the Dutch physician Johannes de Gorter in his book “De perspiratione insensibili,” published in 1736, and since then it has been repeated many times, despite the complete lack of experimental evidence.

It was only in 1987 that three psychologists from the University of Maryland refuted this hypothesis. People who were given oxygen to breathe continued to yawn periodically, but participants in the other group, who inhaled air with reduced oxygen levels, did not do so more often. Another American psychologist, Andrew Gallup, through a series of experiments, showed that yawning is a kind of built-in air conditioner that is needed to cool the brain. This is probably the function that yawning performs not only in humans, but also in most vertebrates.

Still from the film “The Lion King” (1994)

Each of us yawns on average 5-10 times a day. We start yawning in the womb, about 20 weeks after conception, and we yawn until we die. Not only people yawn, but also almost all mammals. Fish yawn before changing activities, penguins - during courtship; Horses, sea lions, tigers, dogs and cats yawn, not to mention the great apes, which often do so collectively. It seems that only giraffes and dolphins do not yawn - perhaps because they do not have a full stage of deep sleep: while one hemisphere sleeps, the other is resting.

Because yawning is so stereotyped and appears in similar forms in a wide variety of animals, it is considered one of the oldest mechanisms for regulating behavior. In 1838, Charles Darwin wrote in his diary: “The sight of a dog, horse, or man yawning makes me believe that all animals are built on the same pattern.” Clearly there must be some benefit to yawning. But the causes and functions of yawning have long remained a mystery to scientists.

Today we know that yawning is not just a sign of fatigue or boredom, but something much more interesting.

There are many scientific explanations for yawning. Yawning is thought to help maintain alertness during times of stress, regulate sleep-wake cycles, cool an overheated brain, or oxygenate the blood. Yawning, unlike laughing or crying, does not seem worthy of attention. Yawning is not very decent, but pleasant: on a hedonic scale, this activity is given 8.5 out of 10 points. But this is not where the matter ends. It turns out that yawning is not only pleasant, but also very useful.

In voice therapy, conscious yawning has been used for decades as a way to reduce fear of failure and as a means of preventing throat hypertension. Some modern neuroscientists call yawning one of the most effective ways to eliminate nervous stress, increase empathy and focus. A good yawn is the best thing you can do for a short rest. This may seem strange, but yawning, among other things, is closely related to sexuality.

American neuroscientists Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman consider yawning to be a “powerful neural stimulator.” They even recommend incorporating yawning into stress management programs, psychotherapy, and contemplative spiritual practices, and using intentional yawning to improve memory and cognitive function. Yawning, in their opinion, increases empathy, and due to this it can improve relationships with other people:

“If you want to improve your sex life and stay together, learn to yawn.”

Brain scanning experiments have shown that yawning stimulates areas of the brain directly associated with empathy and social awareness, self-reflection and the awakening of memories. Yawning is extremely contagious: after seeing a person yawning, about 60% of people begin to yawn themselves. Just reading about yawning is enough to start indulging in this activity yourself. While writing this article, the author yawned many times, and not at all from boredom. Therefore, do not be surprised if this paragraph also uncontrollably made you want to stretch and yawn.

Physiologically, the process of yawning is quite simple: it is a long inhalation, followed by a short breath-hold, during which the air reaches the stomach. This is followed by a short exhalation, which is often accompanied by stimulation of the lacrimal glands - for this reason, some actors, preparing for a crying scene, begin to yawn vigorously backstage. When yawning, the volume of the nasopharynx increases several times and the Eustachian tubes are blocked, which temporarily almost deprives us of hearing.

Yawning first appears in the mother's womb (this can be clearly seen in ultrasound recordings), but acquires “contagious” properties only by the age of six. Perhaps yawning somehow helps the growth of the embryo - it makes the lungs grow and develops articulation of the jaw joints. But with age, yawning also acquires social functions. For example, some anthropologists suggest that, with the help of contagious yawning, groups of people learned to go to bed and wake up at the same time.

Yawning is not only a physiological act. By yawning, a person conveys a message to others. For example, that he is bored, or that he is tired, or that he is potentially ready for sexual relations. The latter will be less surprising if you compare the facial expression of a person during a yawn and during sexual intercourse - in some respects they are surprisingly similar. As some ancient sources indicate, in India, yawning was part of courtship rituals (by the way, Adélie penguins also yawn during mating games). It is curious that males yawn more often in animals. Humans, unlike other species, remain sexually active throughout the year, and yawns are distributed approximately equally between men and women.

Psychologist and neuroscientist Robert Provin notes that in yawning, as in sex and sneezing, there is a phase of preparation and pleasant release:

“Once this business starts, it continues until the end, no one wants to interrupt this process.”

Yawning and sexual arousal release the same neurochemicals. Perhaps there is a common biological mechanism behind these two phenomena. This idea is supported by an unusual side effect that some people experience while taking antidepressants. Typically, serotonin reuptake inhibitors suppress sexual desire. But in some cases they cause severe yawning, accompanied by orgasm.

Some scientists suggest that yawning is related to the functioning of mirror neurons. It is known that the “contagiousness” of yawning depends on how close two people are to each other, and this pattern is observed not only in humans, but also in bonobos. We are more likely to respond to a yawn from a loved one than from a stranger on the subway. It is not yet known whether yawning together can act as an indicator of a good relationship. Therefore, do not rush to conclude that you have fallen out of love if your loved one has stopped yawning with you - perhaps you just began to tire him less.

The mystery of yawning has occupied many scientists and thinkers, starting with Hippocrates. The famous ancient Greek doctor believed that yawning frees the body from harmful air and elevated temperature. To this day, yawning is often considered something reprehensible and indecent. In many European countries it was believed that during a yawn, hostile spirits could enter the body, so after a yawn one should make the sign of the cross over the mouth. In Muslim culture, it is believed that yawning is a sign of laziness and carelessness. If a believer begins to yawn during prayer, this means that the unclean is trying to distract and lead him astray from the righteous path.

As it is said in one of the hadiths, the sound of a yawn is how Satan laughs at a person.

In medicine, it has long been believed that yawning is a reflex mechanism that turns on when there is a lack of oxygen. Taking a deep breath increases ventilation of the lungs, saturates the blood with oxygen and thereby reduces drowsiness - this is why we yawn especially sweetly before going to bed and after waking up. This opinion was first expressed by the Dutch physician Johannes de Gorter in his book “De perspiratione insensibili,” published in 1736, and since then it has been repeated many times, despite the complete lack of experimental evidence.

It was only in 1987 that three psychologists from the University of Maryland refuted this hypothesis. People who were given oxygen to breathe continued to yawn periodically, but participants in the other group, who inhaled air with reduced oxygen levels, did not do so more often. Another American psychologist, Andrew Gallup, through a series of experiments, showed that yawning is a kind of built-in air conditioner that is needed to cool the brain. This is probably the function that yawning performs not only in humans, but also in most vertebrates.

Yawning is an involuntary act, but you can learn to yawn on your own. To do this, it is enough to pretend that you are yawning, and after 4-5 times the yawn will turn out to be quite real. According to some reports, Japanese companies are even introducing special five-minute yawning sessions: tired workers watch people yawning on screens, and then begin to yawn themselves. According to scientists, during this time they cool their brains, regain strength and focus, and perhaps even develop a sense of empathy for others.

In their book on the neurobiology of belief, Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman recommend using intentional yawning as a relaxation practice. According to them, yawning “stimulates alertness and concentration, optimizes brain activity and metabolism, improves cognitive function and memory, promotes awareness and self-awareness, reduces stress, relaxes the body, promotes pleasure and sensuality.”

If this is true, then we all need to yawn as often as possible. But even if scientists exaggerate, yawning is still pleasant and useful - not only Japanese employees, but also almost any animal with a backbone will confirm this.

Yawning is an unconscious breathing act of taking a deep, long breath and quickly exhaling. The mouth is open, and the yawning process itself is accompanied by a characteristic sound. At first glance, yawning seems to be a natural process for the body, but in some cases, excessive yawning can become a symptom of a disease. There are several hypotheses that answer the question of why people yawn often. Doctors are studying why this process is necessary for the body, but they have not come to final conclusions.

Why do people yawn?

Let's consider the most common hypotheses that explain why people yawn often and how this affects the general condition of the body.

• Yawning helps the body when there is a lack of oxygen in the brain tissues. When you take a deeper breath, more oxygen enters your bloodstream than during normal breathing. Saturation of the body with oxygen leads to accelerated blood flow and metabolism, which makes a person feel better and the whole body becomes toned. Therefore, in various situations when the oxygen balance is disturbed, a person yawns and becomes more alert. For example, yawning after sleep or long monotonous work.

• Yawning to cool the brain. Scientists were able to prove this effect by conducting an experiment in which two groups of people watched videos of actors yawning. Participants who had a cold compress on their forehead yawned less compared to people with or without a warm compress.

Benefits of Yawning

• Help for blocked ears. Why do you often yawn when the plane changes altitude? Yawning helps relieve congestion in the ears, which occurs due to a sharp difference in pressure.
• Warm up for muscles . When yawning, a person usually involuntarily stretches and stretches his stiff body. Thus, yawning prepares a person for active action. Thus, students yawn while preparing to take an exam, and artists yawn before a performance. This also explains why people yawn when they are bored or want to sleep - yawning helps to cheer up and work stiff muscles.

• Nervous system protection. During a serious conversation or an exciting situation, a person may ask himself: “Why do I yawn often?” This reaction will be a kind of sedative for the body, which will help cope with stress.
• Relaxing effect . If you are a person, then yawning will help the body relax and prepare for sleep.

Yawning as a sign of illness

Frequent and prolonged yawning is a symptom of an unhealthy state of the body. This may be one of the signs of sleep problems, high blood pressure, depression or severe anxiety. Therefore, in cases where yawning constantly overcomes a person, it is better to consult a doctor to check your blood pressure, the condition of your blood vessels and heart. And first you need to try to be less nervous, get better sleep and replenish the supply of vitamins and minerals in the body.

The mirror property of yawning

Yawning is a phenomenon that can be “infected.” Why do you often yawn when you see people with their mouths open in real life or on TV? In the cortex of our brain there are which are the cause of the stickiness of yawning. All a person needs to do is read about yawning or think about it, and then he immediately begins to yawn. But not all people are susceptible to this “disease”. Children with autism can calmly watch a provoking video without yawning. And children under five years old are not capable of mirror yawning, since they do not yet know how to empathize with other people's emotions.

The frequent yawning of the owners is transmitted to the dogs, and they also completely copy the physiological state of the owner, becoming relaxed and sleepy, like a yawning person. Dogs also see the difference: if the owner simply opens his mouth wide, the dog will not imitate his behavior, but will definitely copy the yawn.

Yawning as a manifestation of emotional intimacy

Frequent yawning occurs among relatives and close friends of the yawner. And distant acquaintances and strangers almost never show mirror signs. Proximity is the only factor that scientists have been able to identify, because both gender and nationality do not affect a person’s need to yawn in response.

Yawning as a way of communication

Scientists believe that even during the evolution of primates, yawning began to be used as an imitative action. The reasons were very different. So, at the sight of danger, one of the group members yawned, and his state was transmitted to everyone else and put them on alert. And in order to convey a signal to people that it was time to go to bed, the leader yawned, and the tribe supported him with an appropriate reaction.

Ways to combat yawning

The periodic occurrence of yawning is natural for the body, but if a person constantly asks the question “Why do I yawn often?”, then this may mean that some kind of malfunction has occurred in the body. Simple recommendations will help you overcome yawning:

1. Healthy sleep . It is necessary to determine how much time a person will need to sleep for the body to recover. Also, if you feel very tired during the day, you can take a short 20-minute rest. This will help the body relax, but will not allow you to switch to full sleep.
2. Smooth posture . A bent back can cause frequent yawning. The reasons for this effect are that the hunched state does not allow the diaphragm to work fully and causes its involuntary contractions. While straight posture will reduce the desire to yawn.
3. Fresh air and sports. A person is saturated with oxygen during exercise, and this allows him to remain alert throughout the day. An even better option would be to spend more time outside, taking walks or doing light exercise in the fresh air.
4. Nutrition . Adequate nutrition will help put your body in order and get rid of frequent yawning for no reason. You should try to take vitamins, eliminate unhealthy foods from your diet and drink more fluids.

Popular questions about yawning:

• while yawning? Yawning, a person closes his eyes, causing the lacrimal sac to be compressed and the vessels in the lacrimal canals to contract. Because of this, tears pour out because they do not have time to get into the nasopharynx.
• Why do small children yawn? Children yawn when they want to sleep; this process calms them down. If your baby yawns too often, it is possible that he does not have enough oxygen, and then you should take him for more walks in the fresh air.

• Why do people yawn often in church? This is a normal phenomenon explained by human physiology. The service takes place in the morning, when the human body has not yet woken up, and with the help of yawning it is enriched with oxygen, helping to cheer up. Also, the room is usually stuffy and the lights are dim, causing blood flow to slow down and a lack of oxygen to appear.
• Why do people often yawn while talking? This does not mean at all that the person is bored or indifferent to the topic of discussion, but on the contrary - yawning overcame the interlocutor due to the active functioning of the brain. He listened to the story so carefully and thoughtfully that his oxygen metabolism was disrupted, so his body replenished its strength with the help of a yawn.

The simple process of yawning carries important functions for the proper functioning of the entire body. It is worth paying attention if yawning has become unusually frequent and prolonged, and help the body recover.

Yawning is an unconditioned reflex, manifested in the form of a special respiratory act that occurs involuntarily. It all starts with a long deep breath, during which all possible obstacles to the penetration of air are eliminated, namely, the mouth and glottis open wide. Immediately after inhalation there is a quick exhalation, accompanied by a characteristic sound.

It should be noted that not only people yawn, but also almost all living inhabitants of our planet - mammals, birds, amphibians and even fish. We ourselves begin to yawn in the womb.

The exact causes of yawning have not yet been fully established; at the same time, there are several hypotheses regarding the occurrence of this reflex.

Fatigue and lack of sleep

Very often people begin to yawn when they are tired and have not had enough sleep. At such moments, inhibition processes begin to predominate in the brain, as a result of which the activity of nerve cells decreases. The processes of inhibition of brain neurons affect many functions of the human body, including breathing, which becomes less deep and rare. As a result, oxidized metabolic products begin to accumulate in the blood. They irritate specific receptors and provoke yawning.

This version gives yawning a certain physiological meaning. During yawning, the blood is enriched with oxygen and accumulated carbon dioxide is eliminated. In addition, blood flow in the vessels of the brain increases. This happens because when yawning, the muscles of the face, neck and mouth tense. Together with the blood, more nutrients and oxygen begin to flow into the brain, and metabolic products, on the contrary, are intensively excreted. As a result, brain activity stops for some time.

Most likely, nature has provided such a mechanism in order to postpone rest for some time if for some reason it cannot take place. However, you should understand that this cannot continue for long, and if you have already begun to yawn, then perhaps it is time to rest and recuperate.

Brain overheating

This version explains situations when yawning appears in a completely alert person, and its appearance cannot be explained by fatigue or lack of sleep. This can happen due to anxiety, psychological stress, or being in a hot and stuffy room.

In this case, according to scientists, the cause of yawning is overheating of the brain, which requires maintaining a constant temperature, and even a slight increase in it leads to disruption of its activity. Yawning is necessary to regulate brain temperature. During the initial deep breath, a fair amount of cold air enters the body. In the lungs, this air heats up, cooling the blood, and is quickly expelled. Cooled blood enters the vessels of the brain and takes away excess heat. If the problem persists, yawning may recur.

The benefits of yawning

According to doctors, yawning is beneficial: it relaxes the muscles and expands the airways. Thanks to yawning, fatigue and nervous tension are relieved, and brain function is activated. This normalizes blood pressure and improves mood, which reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Yawning as a symptom

You should be wary if yawning does not stop and repeats for no apparent reason. Uncontrollable yawning may indicate the presence of a number of pathological conditions that require specialist intervention.

If repeated yawning is accompanied by drowsiness, malaise, and weakness, then this may indicate diseases of the nervous and endocrine systems, burnout syndrome and chronic fatigue.

Attacks of uncontrollable yawning can occur with vegetative-vascular dystonia, cerebrovascular accidents, migraines, and multiple sclerosis. Such yawning should not go unnoticed and you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

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