Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Yawning

 

Yawning

There has been relatively little research carried out on the subject of yawning, but it is known that humans yawn about twenty times a day and also that babies in the womb yawn from about 11 weeks’ gestation. Tiredness and boredom are cited as common causes of yawning. (Surely unborn babies aren’t bored? ‘I’m fed up hanging around in here. There’s nothing to do or see. There must be more to life than this.')

A yawn is an involuntary reflex, involving an intake of breath through the mouth and a swift exhalation. In addition to yawning when weary or bored, conversations about yawning can cause participants to yawn. Simply reading the word ‘yawn’ triggers the reflex.

Yawning is contagious, perhaps even more so than smiling, but children are not affected by contagious yawning before the age of four. It is difficult to resist the urge to yawn when others are doing so. Yawns aren’t always silent, either. They are frequently accompanied by sighs or verbalisations like, ‘Oh, dear me’ or perhaps inarticulate grunts or groans. Stretching often plays a part, too.

Gallup, in the journal ‘Evolutionary Psychology’, presented the hypothesis, in 2007, that yawning regulates brain temperature. Taking a lot of air into the lungs through yawning cools the blood that flows to the brain and improves the ability to concentrate.

In 2014, researchers looked at how outdoor temperatures affected the frequency of yawning. When it’s hot, people yawn more. When the temperature drops yawning is less frequent. When it reaches 37° C (98.6°F) which is the average body temperature, yawning is no longer effective in cooling the brain.

However, the hypothesis, though popular, is not proven. For example, it cannot account for mouth-gaping or yawning in cold-blooded animals.

Many animals yawn. Contagious yawning is thought to be an evolutionary behaviour, particularly in pack animals, to induce attention within the group and alertness to danger. The theory is that if an individual yawns, it is indicating to the rest that it is sleepy and therefore less vigilant. The yawn spreads, increasing the overall watchfulness and safety of the pack.

Human yawns are contagious to dogs, but it is not certain that cats are similarly affected.

16 comments:

  1. I didn't yawn as I read this. I haven't heard about the brain cooling and it makes some sense.

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    1. Your yawn resistance must be quite strong.

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  2. I yawned all the way through this, I yawn a LOT. It could be a way of getting more oxygen into my asthmatic lungs I suppose. My cat is definitely not affected, I rarely see her yawn.

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    1. I yawned all the way through writing it!

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  3. The baby looks very cute with a yawn, as if he is maturing to a fully functioning human being. But if an adult yawned while you were talking to him/her, it would be taken as a sign of rudeness.

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    1. Yawning is definitely not socially acceptable. The baby in the photo is now 8 years old.

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  4. I's always understood that it's a way of getting extra oxygen to the brain quickly - but the brain cooling sounds reasonable. For such a common thing, it's odd that it isn't understood more. xx

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    1. I suppose it really could be both. x x x

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  5. I'm with River. Yawned all the way through that. Maybe getting up early to catch a London bound train does that.

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  6. You may not notice how often you yawn,
    or you may wonder why you can’t stop yawning...
    And..it's supposed to get oxygen to the brain....!
    Much like sneezing...l have'nt sneezed in months,
    but this morning l sneezed three times before
    going into town...Worrying or not..? :).

    Now! I do know...Cats yawn as a form of communication
    and an attempt to send you a message...
    So if you see a cat that is friendly, relaxed, and content,
    you may notice it stretching and yawning...!
    HeHe! And dogs yawn when their stressed...! :(
    😼 🐾🐾😼 🐾🐾😼 🐾🐾😼 🐾🐾😼 🐾🐾

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  7. That's a nice game to do ! You yawn in a group and suddenly everybody has his mouth wide open. I doubt that I yawn 20 times a day, but I yawned when I typed the word ! Rosie doesn't make me yawn and with a dog I have never tried, because they always want to play with me. It's a bit when in a supermarket you look up to the ceiling a few minutes everybody looks up. I tried it it works !

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    1. At base, we're all pack animals and copy each other.

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  8. I've been yawning all day, and now you've got me going again! Had no idea children were not affected by contagious yawning before the age of four, nor that it could be temperature related, which somehow makes sense! xxx

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  9. Sorry to set you off again, Ann :-) x x x

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