Why Are Yawns Contagious?

A yawn is an involuntary reflex where the mouth is opened wide, and the lungs take in a lot of air. The air is then exhaled slowly. During this time, the eardrums stretch, and the eyes may also close tight, causing them to water.

No thought or action has to be taken to produce a yawn, and the process is similar for everyone. Yawning commonly occurs either before or after sleep, which is why it is usually considered a sign of being tired. Yawning also occurs frequently in people who are doing boring or tedious things.

There is also a social aspect to yawning. when humans are tired, we stop taking deep breaths, which causes a build-up of carbon dioxide in the body. A yawn might be a special kind of respiration. It builds up oxygen quickly, while expelling carbon dioxide, even more than a deep breath.

Excess carbon dioxide and other chemical changes, such as a drop in oxygen or increase in a compound called adenosine, could also act as “yawn gates.”These chemicals send out a signal that triggers a yawn. By yawning, we compress the muscles of the face, driving oxygen-enriched blood to the brain.

Why Are Yawns Contagious?

What is known is that, the behavior is contagious. The likelihood of yawning increases sixfold, after seeing someone else yawn.

As for yawn contagion, it is related to a phenomenon called social mirroring, where organisms imitate the actions of others. This behavior could be linked to MIRROR NEURONS OF THE BRAIN.

WHAT CAUSES EXCESSIVE YAWNING?

Fatigue, Electrolyte imbalance, Cardiovascular disease, Infection, Sleep disorders, Poor blood flow, Neurological disorder, Liver failure, Thyroid conditions, Medication, Multiple sclerosis, Depression, Boredom, Stress, Anxiety, Mood swings.

Brain Fact : Yawning saves lives

Yawning is the body's way of cooling down an overheated brain.

When your brain does not receive the enough oxygen, yawning provides the necessary amount of oxygen to the brain. Anoxic brain damage is brain injury- caused by a lack of oxygen. Without it, brain cells will start to die after 4-6 minutes.

Interesting Yawning facts:

1. Babies can yawn, even in the womb
2. Yawns become contagious, when we are between first and second years of our lives
3. If one person in the group yawns, more than half of the people will yawn in 5 minutes
4. Men's yawn longer than womens
5. Yawn lasts, an average of 6 seconds
6. Giraffes are the only animals who don't yawn
7. If you touch your tongue while yawning, it can stop the yawn
8. Finally, 60% of the people yawn, after reading this blog related to yawn !!!!!!!!!!