We all yawn several times throughout the day. Yawns appear to be contagious and travel at the speed of light through a room. But why do we yawn in the first place? What, if any, purpose does yawn serve? While scientists aren’t entirely sure why humans yawn, they do have some interesting suggestions.
What is a yawn, exactly? In a nutshell, it’s when your mouth opens involuntarily while your jaw widens to its maximum width. You’re taking a deep, deep inhale via your nose and mouth while doing this, followed by a slow exhale. Because we frequently stretch our limbs at the same time, the entire exercise is associated with comfort. It’s not uncommon for your yawn to startle others if you’re in a crowded area.
Did you realize that even in the womb, babies yawn? From fish to birds to donkeys, all vertebrate creatures yawn. Yawns, on the other hand, are only contagious in humans, chimps, and wolf and dog families. Although yawning is commonly connected with boredom (and is regarded to be rude), scientists now believe that yawns have a different function.
Why Do We YawnWe yawn to calm down
According to several studies, yawning is a physiologic process used by people to keep their brains cool. Experts say that brains work in a similar way as computers. They work best when they’re cool, and physical adaptations have evolved to allow the brain to cool as much as possible.
We yawn because we need a wake-up call
Boredom, hunger, and exhaustion are all states in which we may find our attention slipping and maintaining our focus becoming increasingly challenging. A yawn, then, could be a signal to our bodies to wake up, a way of ensuring that we stay awake. When psychologist Ronald Baenninger, an emeritus professor at Temple University, put this idea to the test in a series of lab research and naturalistic observation, he discovered that yawning is more common when stimulus is scarce. In reality, a yawn is frequently followed by greater movement and physiological activity, implying that the body is “waking up.”
We yawn because it’s contagious!
Yes, it is correct! According to one study, when people were given films of people yawning, about half of them started yawning as well. Even just thinking about yawning, or reading about it, can make you yawn. According to Robert Provine, a psychology and neuroscience professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, “it’s not really that strange of a reaction.” Other highly human reactions, such as laughing, are also “contagious.” According to Decker, a lot of studies have linked the capturing quality of yawns to empathy.
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