Starting from a baby to grandparents, from men to women & even animals, everybody yawns. But why they yawn actually? To be honest there is no any definite answer. But there are several theories about why people yawn.
People yawn generally before or after sleeping. So another reason of yawning may be to stretch the lungs & its tissues. The motion during yawning helps to do it. And as a result, blood flows throughout our face & brain, thus increasing alertness.
Yawning is also a contagious action. And literally I felt that when I was looking for images of yawning. At that time i also yawned just by looking at the image.
Not just any person yawning before you, but even any video or photo of people doing it can force to you to yawn. Now there is a theory that explains why yawning is contagious. And this is empathy.
Contagious yawning is a sign of empathy for others. Seeing a person yawning can trigger a yawning in you, if you are close to that person and in many of the cases, even if you are not close to that person.
According to a study, some chimpanzees were showed videos of other chimpanzees yawning. The result showed that, the chimpanzees were more likely to catch the yawn if the one in the video was familiar to them.
Is excessive yawning bad?
Yawning is a common reflex. And there is nothing bad about it. But as you know nothing, in excess is good for us. Similarly, if you yawn excess & you just can’t stop it, you should not ignore it.
Excessive yawning may be a symptom of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is basically a condition when your breathing is interrupted while sleeping. Another reason night be sleep deprivation – when your body does not get enough sleep or reflex.
In that case you must consult with a doctor instead of just ignoring it.
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