Reason why we yawn.
By thetis74
@thetis74 (1525)
August 15, 2011 6:31pm CST
If you see people yawning as they come out of the movies, don't assume it was a terrible picture. Contrary to popular opinion, yawning is not necessarily as sign of boredom. If you yawn, it simply indicates that you need more oxygen, and it is nothing but a reflex that forces oxygen into your lungs.
The body's oxygen supply is depleted after a long period of shallow breathing, which commonly occurs when you are tired, under stress, or have been sitting still for a long time. Yawning is not a sign of illness or abnormality. Oddly enough, yawning rarely occurs during serious mental physical illness.
1 person likes this
11 responses
@2wicelot (2945)
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16 Aug 11
This is a very interesting insight. I never even considered yawning as something worth researching. Well done. I think different cultures view yawning differently. I have noticed some think it is rude while in some other cultures they do not think it rude at all.
@touchtype30s (70)
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16 Aug 11
its rude to not cover your mouth with your hand when you yawn in Britain but not the end of the world if you don't.
2 people like this
@voracious (624)
• Philippines
19 Aug 11
Yes I agree with you because when we lack of oxygen we feel dizzy or sleepy so yawning indicates that we have to get more oxygen supply sufficient in our body needs.
1 person likes this
@bnpraveen (172)
• India
16 Aug 11
yawn
when ever you feel sleepy,or if you feel tiered you will yarn, one intresting thing if any yawns before you it might be (person or picture or animal ao children) who ever it might be you will yawn automatically this is why because there is reflect neurons in our brain it makes us yawn whenever some one yawns befoe you,funny reflect neurons
1 person likes this
@thetis74 (1525)
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19 Aug 11
When it was featured at the national geographic, if I am not wrong, I think they made a conclusion that yawning isn't contagious. There could be other reasons why it seems contagious to some because I notice it too. Maybe it just comes automatically when you see someone else yawning and you think about yawning too. Just like when someone itches and y
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
13 Sep 11
Yes I believe indeed that yawning is not necessarily as sign of boredom. For me yawning is first and foremost a sign that a person is sleepy and so he needs to sleep. Maybe it is already his bed time or maybe he just did not really have enough sleep the night before. I also agree that if you yawn it means your lungs need more oxygen so you yawn as a normal tendency.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
16 Aug 11
Wow that is rather interesting about yawning. I think that us being a bit too relaxed could lead to needing more oxygen however. We tend to get relaxed and thus bored. Or if we are fatigued, then we might find ourselves rather hard to breath to say the very least. So there are a lot of times where the things that are associated with us yawning, that could still lead to a lack of oxygen. Its just people making the connection without really making the connection.
I do enjoy the yawning domino affect however. It can be rather contagious. One person yawns and another person yawns, complaining the other person made them tired. That is one of the interesting quirks about yawning to say the very least. I just find when that happens to be the height of amusement. Still that is extremely interesting about yawning for sure.
1 person likes this
@thetis74 (1525)
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19 Aug 11
If I am not mistaken the national geographic also studied if yawning is contagious. They have kept several people in a boring room and waited for anyone to yawn. And there was this one person who yawned but the rest didn't. It was a long time ago that I have seen that. But I think the conclusion was that yawning isn't contagious. Thank you for that. It is really interesting. When I have seen all about at the national geographic, I never expected they would consider yawning worth researching. Indeed it is.
@syekimubin (64)
• India
17 Aug 11
hi thetis ...ya..thinking of it again making me to yawn..lol..ya when ever we see a person yawning causes us to yawn too...its common even if we think not to yawn that thought also makes to yawn..mostly i yawn when ever i travel in bus by seeing the boar ring faces of people ...makes me to feel sleepy and yawn..nice to you think of small things ..also..
@thetis74 (1525)
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19 Aug 11
Haha. Just don't tell them you yawn because they look so boring because they might intentionally yawn in front of you too. hehe. Just kidding. Maybe it's the lack of the oxygen that makes us feel bored and that the surrounding will seem boring too. Thank you for that. It is really nice to think of small things also, you are right because small things count a lot too.
@valleyofberaca (299)
• Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
16 Aug 11
I just thought that we yawn when it feels like we want to sleep.
Thank you for this post, it's another knowledge shared to everyone.
@hanjianbo615 (149)
• China
16 Aug 11
hi,my friend,another interesting topic again and i totally agree with you opinion.you know what? when i was so tired that yawn my tears will be out of my eye. i appreciate your sentence that yawning is not a sign of illness or abnormality,oddly enough,yawning rarely occurs during mental physical illness.
