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Why We Yawn? Is Yawning Contagious?

Did You Yawn After Viewing the Video?


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    19

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What is a yawn and why do people yawn? Yawning has fascinated people for hundreds of years, and many superstitions and myths have been created over the years.


Today we know that a yawn is a reflex of inhalation and exhalation that draws more oxygen into the bloodstream. A reflex is a built-in physical reaction that people often do not have control over. A yawn is often associated with a person being tired, but this is not always the cause for a yawn. People yawn for many reasons including stress, boredom, emotion and over-work.

Have you noticed that yawning seems to be contagious? If one person yawns, this appears to cause another person to yawn. Researchers have found that 40-60% of people who see a picture of someone yawning will yawn themselves. Even reading the word YAWN can make people yawn.
Although this “contagious” yawning behavior is not understood, it has been suggested that this could be the result of an unconscious herding behavior — a subtle way to communicate group behavior, such as when a birds follow the behavior of one bird, and all rise together as a whole flock.
Maybe a yawn is a signal to the group that it’s time to go to sleep. Or if someone yawns when they’re bored, it may be a sign to change the topic of conversation.

Yawning is not limited to humans. Animals of all types yawn. If you have a dog or cat, you’ve probably seen your pet yawn several times. Even some birds yawn such as {censored}atiel parrots, Adelie penguins and Emperor penguins.

Did you yawn while viewing the following video? Reply to Poll!

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YE5xmFAcW-U&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YE5xmFAcW-U&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


Some of the more scientific explanations of why we yawn are caused by physical needs. One likely explanation is that the yawning reflex is triggered when our blood needs more oxygen. The deep breath helps replenish the levels of oxygen in our blood. Another common theory is that the yawn help regulate our body temperature. Other hypotheses suggest that the same chemicals in our brain that affect our moods and emotions cause us to yawn.

Some people think that yawning is rude and suggests that you are bored or uninterested. Superstitions about yawning have been around for hundreds of years and stem from the ancient Greeks. A common superstition says that a person must cover his or her mouth when yawning so that the soul does not escape through the mouth. Other superstitions say that yawning is a sign that danger is near. Today most people do not believe these superstitions and know that a yawn is a physical reflex.

Did you yawn while reading this article? Please reply to Poll! :veryhappymunda1:
 

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spnadmin

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It is contagious roopsidhuji. It has to be. Because each time I check this thread and read about yawning, I can't help myself, I start yawning. Big ones. I just yawned 5 seconds ago. It only takes mere mention to take effect. :omggg: I am yawning again. And it is weird.
 
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SSA,
Most of us who had travelled in buses might have noticed that it used to be written in the buses that on seat number 1, 2 and 3, sleeping is prohibited. Most of people yawn before sleeping, passengers sitting on eats 1,2,3 seats were very close to the driver. As the yawning is contagious, there were always chances of driver start yawning and feeling sleepy. All what I meant by writing this is that this situation explains that since long times it was understood that yawning is contagious.
Roopsidhu
 

spnadmin

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roopsidhu ji

I am yawning right now -- just reading the title before loading the page to check. That is how suggestible I am. Did you ever travel to a harbor area, like San Francisco or Vancouver, or Pacific destinations in South America? There on the fishing wharves and lazing about on barges and platforms at sea are hundreds of seals and walruses. One yawns, it starts the entire brood -- and every one watching them is yawning too. And now I am yawning just thinking about it. Hah Hah
 

Mai Harinder Kaur

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roopsidhu ji

I am yawning right now -- just reading the title before loading the page to check. That is how suggestible I am. Did you ever travel to a harbor area, like San Francisco or Vancouver, or Pacific destinations in South America? There on the fishing wharves and lazing about on barges and platforms at sea are hundreds of seals and walruses. One yawns it starts the entire brood -- and every one watching them is yawning too. And now I am yawning just thinking about it. Hah Hah

Yawn...
 

BazGrewal

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Sep 17, 2010
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I did not yawn while reading this particular article but this is really interesting, and I find it to be true in many circumstances.I have also heard that you will also be likely to yawn if someone you are talking to over the phone yawns. I guess the brain receives somekind of message when we see hear or feel a yawn.
 

lionsingh

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Nov 7, 2010
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Yawning is a reflex action to dramatically increase the oxygen to the brain. Now as to why oxygen reduces in the brain when you are bored is another question...but the yawn is a parasympathetic defence response..... now where did I leave my spare supply of oxygen.....
 

Admin

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Yawning may cool brain when needed
Yawning helps keep the brain cool, and the sinuses play a role in that process by acting as bellows, a new report suggests.

Yawning isn't triggered because you're bored, tired or need oxygen. Rather, yawning helps regulate the brain's temperature, according to Gary Hack, of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, and Andrew Gallup, of Princeton University.

"The brain is exquisitely sensitive to temperature changes and therefore must be protected from overheating," they said in a University of Maryland news release. "Brains, like computers, operate best when they are cool."

During yawning, the walls of the maxillary sinuses (located in the cheeks on each side of the nose) flex like bellows and help with brain cooling, according to the researchers.

They noted that the actual function of sinuses is still the subject of debate, and this theory may help clarify their purpose.

"Very little is understood about them, and little is agreed upon even by those who investigate them. Some scientists believe that they have no function at all," Hack said in the news release.

The researchers said their theory that yawning helps cool the brain has medical implications. For example, excessive yawning often precedes seizures in people with epilepsy and pain in people with migraine headaches.

Doctors may be able to use excessive yawning as a way to identify patients with conditions that affect temperature regulation.

"Excessive yawning appears to be symptomatic of conditions that increase brain and/or core temperature, such as central nervous system damage and sleep deprivation," Gallup said in the news release.

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health...Yawning-may-cool-brain-when-needed/51409498/1
 

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Ambarsaria

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Aman Singh ji thanks.

I just noticed couple of things from the picture,

  • She needs a good dental cleaning. May be eating too much soft food.
  • The Dental pattern is just like our dogs, and like us
    • except we have slightly larger middle teeth as we switched from meat to Parathas, samosas, veggies and such and over time the teeth adapted as well
All is same in many ways and also different icecreammunda

Sat Sri Akal
 

lionsingh

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Nov 7, 2010
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@Aman Singh

Yawning will increase Oxygen into the blood system quite rapidly....However it cannot "cool" the brain !!!! That is biologically impossible !!! Otherwise Sportsmen/women would be yawning like chess players in moments of over activity ;-) .... The vasodilation that could come from YAWNING will not affect the brain thermostat !!! ... silly silly silly post....but the photo of the lioness was cool...respect for that. ;-0...yippee for GARY HICK the author of this rubbish !!! Go Gary go...

You have posted another article by a QUACK that has ZERO academic interest nor validity.
....

Now I am yawning...my poor brain must be overheating Dr icecreamkudi
 

Admin

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@Aman Singh

Yawning will increase Oxygen into the blood system quite rapidly....However it cannot "cool" the brain !!!! That is biologically impossible !!! Otherwise Sportsmen/women would be yawning like chess players in moments of over activity ;-) .... The vasodilation that could come from YAWNING will not affect the brain thermostat !!! ... silly silly silly post....but the photo of the lioness was cool...respect for that. ;-0...yippee for GARY HICK the author of this rubbish !!! Go Gary go...

You have posted another article by a QUACK that has ZERO academic interest nor validity.
....

Now I am yawning...my poor brain must be overheating Dr icecreamkudi
When we have nothing positive to add to a discussion, then it is recommended we keep quiet like a good academician, who only speaks when it matters... i would give more respect to a well mannered and cultured quack rather than an always ranting, overheated, depressive academician... :sippingcoffeemunda:

I think that Quack makes much more sense after reading your post...


:)
Gurfateh!
 
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Admin

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Navdeep ji, you voted, you never yawn. wow! you must have been a serious workaholic, no time to yawn. (...Aman takes a big long yawn writing this message...)
 

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