There can be an urge to yawn but we cannot yawn on command, it’s a semi-voluntary action and partly a reflex in which we open our mouth to stretch our throat and tongue to breathe in and breathe out.
The process is probably a natural response that is controlled by neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus of the brain. Yawning sometimes gets so extreme that you can even yawn 10 times within a minute followed by water eyes, ear pop, sighs, and loud yawn sounds.
Many Studies related to yawning are mostly not conclusive, yawning remains a bit of a mystery, but several theories attempt to explain why we do it
- Popular theory behind yawning says that when oxygen levels in the body deplete, we yawn to get a necessary influx of oxygen.
- Yawning happens and increases when internal body temperature or external environment temperature increases or decreases above normal.
- The thermoregulatory theory of yawning explains that when cool air from outside is breathed in while yawning; it functions to cool and refresh the brain, making you more awake.
- Yawning helps to stretch the lungs, eardrums, facial muscles, throat, and tongue, instilling activeness in your upper body especially your head ( As your head goes back or down and shoulder shrugs while yawning), after a long day of work it is an important body mechanism for releasing stress.
When Yawning is Triggered?
When you are tired
Low energy levels can be due to poor diet, stress, and poor sleep making you drowsy and sleepy. Tiredness disrupts the way brain cells communicate with each other and brain signals get weak or slow down. That’s how yawning is triggered.
When you are bored or when there is nothing to do
When you get bored you may feel certain emotions in your head like loneliness and isolation. The brain releases a chemical called dopamine which is associated with feeling good. If your dopamine is low, you may experience feelings of boredom, apathy, or even a depressed mood.
When someone else is yawning
Yawning is contagious if someone in front of you is yawning continuously, it’s sure you will also catch the yawn and join the team. Even dogs can yawn when their human counterpart is yawning.
When we wake up or get late to bed
Yawning is also linked to the circadian rhythm which means a natural biological routine that the body follows in a 24-hour cycle. It’s like an internal clock in our body that controls alertness and sleepiness in relation to morning, evening, and night or in conjunction with natural sunlight.
Are All Yawns the Same?
Accompanying symptoms can vary from person to person, variations in how individuals yawn add to the complexity and uniqueness of this seemingly simple behavior.
Not all yawns are the same; they can vary in duration, intensity, and sound. While the basic mechanism of yawning involves the opening of the mouth to stretch the throat and tongue for a breath in and out, individual yawns may differ based on factors such as:
- Duration – Some yawns are brief, lasting only a few seconds, while others can be more prolonged.
- Intensity – The force with which an individual yawns can vary. Some people may yawn more forcefully than others.
- Sound – Yawns can be silent or accompanied by sounds such as a sigh or a loud yawn. The sound produced during a yawn can differ among individuals.
Some Fun Facts About Yawning
- Nearly all vertebrates like fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds can yawn or perform a mouth-gaping
- On average a person can yawn approx. 240,000 times in a whole lifetime
- Newborns can start yawning within 4 months after conception
- Yawning relieves the ear discomfort – When we travel in high altitudes our ears block but as you open your mouth (yawn) they open
- The average life of one yawn is approximately 6 seconds
- Our hearing reduces when the time we yawn
- It’s nearly impossible to suppress a yawn, try next time to do so
- Yawning can be triggered just by thinking about it
- There are no half-yawns, when it comes it comes full
- We are sure you must have yawned once while reading this “Yawning” article
Yes Yawning is Contagious
“Contagious yawning occurs when an individual yawns in response to someone else’s yawn – the urge to yawn eventuate while thinking about a yawn, listening to the sound of a yawn, or viewing someone yawning”
Every living being whether human, animal, fish, bird, or other living creatures is born with the quality of copying or mirroring or learning to repeat. It’s a psychological behavior that reflects physiologically in response to someone else’s action.
Yawning is considered contagious triggering it in persons around within the close relatives, friends, family, and people sitting in one room. Response to someone’s yawning is also very fast, A Study says that people will end up yawning within 5 minutes after they see someone else yawning and even thinking about yawning can induce it within 30 min.