Why is yawning contagious? Have you ever wondered?

by time news

There are many mysteries that still exist in medicine, including yawning, and all the mysteries surrounding it, especially in terms of its “contagion”.

Many people may have wondered why do we yawn and is yawning really contagious?

To answer this question there are a number of theories, although there is little good research on the subject.

However, there are many agreed-upon causes of yawning, according to a report published on the page of the University of South Carolina in the United States.

Is it contagious?

First, there is an indisputable cause of yawning and that is social empathy, so if you see someone yawn, or if you read about yawning (like reading this news now) you may yawn as well as others.

expressive (iStock)

Psychologists have also proven that the more empathetic you are, the more likely you are to yawn or “contagious” when someone else, such as a family member or friend, yawns.

Second, when changing altitude quickly as in an airplane, you will voluntarily (intentionally) yawn and also involuntarily (not intentionally) yawn to try to equalize the pressures inside your ear, which is an acceptable reason to yawn.

drowsiness or boredom

In addition, it is clear that yawning is associated with drowsiness and boredom. However, almost paradoxically, it is assumed that yawning is not a sign of drowsiness or boredom, but is actually an involuntary reaction your brain induces to wake you up or make you more alert.

It is also associated with certain hormones that are secreted that increase heart rate and alertness for a brief period.

expressive (iStock)

expressive (iStock)

Perhaps the reason one yawns when tired or bored is because the body is trying to keep you awake and awake, even if only for a brief period.

This is linked to the common phenomenon of yawning when waking up after sleeping or napping. This is another evidence that yawning is an involuntary stimulation and excitation, not the other way around.

brain cooling

The final theory is that yawning is a cooling response to a warm brain. This is unproven, and while there are some examples of yawning in heat-related scenarios, yawning is not something we see when exercising or playing in the sun.

Physiologically, deep breaths and an open mouth can cool the brain a bit, but the evidence that this is a real cause of yawning is not convincing.

Meanwhile, a plausible but unproven theory as to what causes yawning is to improve oxygen in the blood or remove carbon dioxide.

expressive (iStock)

expressive (iStock)

This makes sense because yawning brings in more oxygen with deep breathing and exhales removes more carbon dioxide than normal breathing, but research by putting people in low oxygen or high carbon dioxide environments does not cause yawns.

Yawning is a normal reaction in most people. However, if you are experiencing excessive yawning for no apparent reason, it is wise to visit your doctor and make sure nothing abnormal is happening.

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