Yawning is more contagious than a runny nose. And still no one knows exactly what causes yawning, because the theory of boredom can be put between fairy tales. The most common explanation for yawning is that this is how the body demands for oxygen. What is yawning really? Is frequent yawning a symptom of an illness? And why is yawning contagious?

The first yawning was Hippocrates, who believed that " yawningdrives bad air out of the lungs and is good at any time of the day." We yawn in all sorts of situations.

We know when we yawn - when we are tired, bored, hungry, unsure of ourselves, and even before a very important public speech, but we do not know what arereasons for yawningand why we do it.

For centuries, scientists have presented more or less probable theories that do not answer all the questions about this phenomenon.

Yawning: no boredom, no oxygen

Today, the dominant belief is that it is the body that demands more oxygen. A deep breath works like a suction pump. The blood becomes more saturated with oxygen and circulates faster, the pressure increases and the number of heartbeats increases, and the brain is better oxygenated. This also explains why we yawn in situations that have nothing to do with boredom.

Oxygen deficiency also manifests itself in stressful situations, when we breathe a bit shallower. In hypoxic blood, the concentration of carbon dioxide increases - yawning saves us from poisoning.

As doctors say, for this very reason some athletes yawn before taking an important jump, decisive shot. It even happens to paratroopers before jumping.

But what causes us to yawn, e.g. on a day when we are not doing anything special? Why is yawning considered bored?

It turns out that when we slow down, the body's production of nitric oxide increases, which acts as a poison, irritating the cells of the brainstem. In defending itself against poisoning, the brain wants more oxygen and provokes a yawn.

Yawning Center

There are many indications that it is located in our brain, in the hypothalamus. Several neurotransmitters are found here. These are specialized nerve connections that - in order for the body and nervous system to function efficiently - produce neurohormones (dopamine and oxytocin), the hormoneadrenocorticotropic (ACTH) and the amino acid glycine. It is - to some extent - the essence of the biochemical functioning of our body. When the proportions between them are disturbed, we start to yawn, e.g. the less dopamine in the body, the more often we do it.

Yawning: alarm clock theory

It was developed by scientists from Pennsylvania. It is akin to what we call "more oxygen". According to the "alarm clock theory", we yawn when we need to go from rest to action, or when we need to act but want to sleep. The yawning reflex appears to prevent us from falling asleep.

Morning and evening yawn

Other scientists speculate that yawning in the morning is triggered by an excess of ACTH, a hormone that increases at night to reach very high levels before waking. But the body hates the imbalance between neurohormones and hormones … So the excess of ACTH could explain the fact that we are eager to stretch and yawn when we wake up. Another explanation has been found for evening yawning - it is to stretch the lungs, ventilate them and prepare the body for several hours of sleep, when we breathe shallower and less frequently.

Important
  • Doctors have observed that people who are in a serious condition, e.g. after surgery or an accident, do not yawn at all. When they start doing this, they recover. Some even believe that the first yawn is about breaking the crisis.
  • Frequent yawning is characteristic of epilepsy, migraine, multiple sclerosis, and seasickness, and it occurs when you stop taking drugs or quit smoking.
  • Yawning completely disappears in patients with parkinson's or diseases characterized by a lack of dopamine (some of the endocrine problems associated with menopause).
  • Babies in the 12th week of gestation yawn, although their lungs did not have and will not be in contact with air until they are born. It is supposed that such yawning is supposed to increase lung capacity and adapt it to the first independent breath.
  • In the 1980s, American scientists managed to breed rats, through multiple genetic crosses, whose life consisted only of eating and yawning. Fluctuations in dopamine levels, unheard of in other species, were responsible for these unusual behaviors.

Yawning - can't be stopped

A muffled yawn is always unsatisfying and most of the time we try to start the next one. If we stop that, too, a series of unsuccessful yawns begins, which - no strong - will end in a decent,a deep yawn combined with a specific ritual. But for this to happen, the body must produce a "yawn cocktail". It consists of many chemicals that quietly circulate in our body. When dopamine, serotonin, nitric oxide, oxytocin and the ACTH hormone meet each other - in unbalanced proportions of course - we have to yawn.

The three phases of yawning

  • Long inhale: sometimes it is accompanied not only by wheezing drawing of air into the lungs, but also individual "gymnastics". Many people stretch and others scratch their head, sides or stomach vigorously. We open our mouths wide, the lower jaw drops low. It takes 4-6 seconds. For this short period of time, air is drawn into the lungs simultaneously through the mouth and nose, which wrinkles in a funny way. The nostrils swing upwards. The invisible parts of the nose and throat widen as much as possible to let as much air in as possible. The tongue lengthens and moves a little forward. The diaphragm lowers and the lungs fill with air. The chest muscles also tense. Blood pressure and heart rate increase.
  • Holding your breath: We usually do this when our mouth is wide open. It takes 2-4 seconds. At the same time, the muscles of the neck tighten, eyes narrow and water, more saliva appears in the mouth, because the wide opening of the mouth stimulates the salivary glands to work. Usually it makes us very pleasant. When the mouth is wide open and the throat and nostrils are stretched to the maximum, more smells reach us - the sense of smell is sharpened.
  • Exhale: This is the last phase of a yawn. Air is quickly pushed out of the lungs. All muscles relax and the mouth closes on its own. Sometimes this is accompanied by a loud tapping of the teeth. When set in motion by the stream of air, the vocal cords begin to vibrate and we make strange sounds. Sometimes it's a panting, other times we call: Aaaaaa.

Yawning like an epidemic

All mammals, fish and birds also yawn. Before hunting or courtship, animals, fish and birds, yawn, scare the opponent or defend their territory. Some species, especially dogs and large cats, yawn collectively, almost always at the same time, but do not become infected with yawning. This is a typically human trait. We get infected not only from each other, but also from other species - most often our own dogs and cats. These, however, do not respond to our yawn.

If someone in a large group of people begins to yawn, others immediately begin to imitate him. The strongest trigger for this chain reaction is reportedly the sight of a wrinkled nose and watery eyes. Some scholars even saythat people with schizophrenic features and those with highly developed empathy yawn more often. Babies and toddlers yawn "for themselves" to exercise their lungs. Until they are two years old - before special neural connections develop in their brains - they do not respond to our yawn. Later, however, they join the rest of their species.

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