Whether you’re in a boring class or sleepy, we’re all bound to yawn some time or the other. It’s a simple action yet the psychology behind it isn’t definite, but there are some theories we can discuss. One popular theory suggests that yawning helps bring in more oxygen, but this has been debunked many times, so why do we yawn anyway?
The most logical and most scientific theory is that yawning is a consequence of temperature regulation by the body. A study in 2014 by Physiology & Behavior studied 120 people and found out that yawing occurs less during the winter. The outside air should cool the body, therefore, we yawn more in colder temperatures and lesser in hotter climates.
The reason you yawn when you’re tired is that your brain is slowing down and that causes a temperature drop. The same happens when you’re bored and your brain isn’t stimulated enough. When you yawn, you also stretch the jaw which increases blood flow in the neck, face, and head. It also helps in forcing spinal fluid downward. And lastly, inhaling cool air cools these fluids. When these processes combine together, they act as a radiator and remove hot blood from the brain.
Another reason why you yawn is that the body wants to wake itself up. The action of yawning helps to stretch the lungs and their tissues and also allows the body to flex itself.
Seeing someone yawn can prove to be a good thing, as shown by a study from Baylor University. It suggests that you’re empathetic. Another small study published by the Personality and Individual Differences journal inspected 135 college students. The results showed that the more empathetic a person is, the more likely they are to yawn after seeing someone else yawn. Of course, these studies don’t mean that if you don’t yawn by looking at someone, you’re psychopathic.
Some researchers believe that yawning has more to with evolution than bodily functions. Before humans communicated vocally, they could’ve used yawning as a tool of communication. Yawns, as we all know as signs of boredom or sleepiness or even fatigue.
Humans aren’t the only ones that yawn, all vertebrates yawn, including fish and birds and even wolves. but the only species that contagiously are humans, chimpanzees, wolves, and dogs.
Yawning is natural as long as it’s done seldom but when you start doing excessively, it could be a symptom of something more serious. In some cases, excessive yawning could be an indication of bleeding around the heart or even a heart attack. People with epilepsy may also yawn more during or after seizures. Yawning is linked with elevated cortisol, which is a stress hormone so that’s why yawning can be related to anxiety or fatigue, as both things place the body under stress.
Obviously, you can’t diagnose on the basis of yawning, if you have unusual pains or see a difference in your energy levels, always consult a doctor. Make sure you are safe and know what your body needs.