If you find yourself yawning much more than usual on a daily basis, there could be more than tiredness or boredom going on.
Yawning is a mostly involuntary process of opening the mouth, breathing in deeply, and filling the lungs with air. While there’s no precise cause of yawning, it’s often viewed as a natural response to being tired. In fact, yawning is usually triggered by sleepiness or fatigue.
It’s natural to yawn late in the day as you get tired, or perhaps when you’re bored. However, excessive yawning may be caused by other health conditions.
Read on to learn the possible causes of excessive yawning, and when it’s a good idea to see a doctor for help.
A yawn is an involuntary reflex where you open your mouth, breathe in deeply, and then quickly exhale.
Researchers aren’t exactly sure why yawning occurs, but common triggers include fatigue and boredom. Yawns may also occur when you talk about yawning or see or hear someone else yawn.
Some yawns are short, and some last for several seconds before an open-mouthed exhale. Watery eyes, stretching, or audible sighs may accompany yawning.
While excessive yawning is often attributed to being sleepy or bored, it may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Below are some of the most common—and less common—causes to consider.
The exact cause of excessive yawning isn’t known. However, it may occur as a result of the following:
Although less common, excessive yawning could also be a sign of health conditions that can include:
Certain conditions can cause a vasovagal reaction, which can result in excessive yawning, in addition to other symptoms.
During a vasovagal reaction, heart rate and blood pressure drop significantly. The reaction can indicate anything from a sleep disorder to a serious heart condition. Other triggers can include:
To identify the cause of excessive yawning, a doctor may first ask you about any medications you take as well as your sleep habits. They’ll want to make sure that you’re getting adequate restful sleep. This can help them determine whether your excessive yawning may occur as a result of being fatigued or having a sleep disorder.
If they can rule out sleep issues, a doctor may perform diagnostic tests to find another possible cause for excessive yawning.
An electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of the tests that may be used. An EEG measures the electrical activity in the brain. It can help diagnose certain conditions that may affect the brain, including:
A doctor may also order an MRI scan.
Also called magnetic resonance imaging, this test uses powerful magnets and radio waves to produce detailed images of the body, which can help doctors visualize and assess bodily structures.
These pictures are often used to diagnose conditions that can include:
If medications are causing excessive yawning, a doctor may recommend a lower dosage. Make sure to talk with a doctor before making any changes to your medications. You should never stop taking medications without approval from a medical professional.
If excessive yawning is occurring as a result of a sleep disorder, a doctor may recommend sleep-aid supplements, such as melatonin, or other medications, if necessary, and techniques for getting more restful sleep. These may include:
If excessive yawning is a symptom of a serious medical condition, such as epilepsy or liver failure, then the underlying problem must be treated immediately.
Due to the many possible causes of excessive yawning, it’s important to speak with a medical professional who can help you determine the underlying cause.
Talk with a doctor if you’ve noticed a sudden increase in your yawning, especially if you’ve been yawning frequently for no apparent reason. They can help determine whether or not excessive yawning is occurring as a result of a medical condition.
You may also consider consulting with a doctor if you recently started taking medications for an underlying condition and have started yawning a lot more than you typically do.
You can assist with the diagnostic process at your appointment by bringing a detailed list of your current medications, history of medical conditions, as well as when you started experiencing symptoms of unusual yawning, and how often it occurs.
Excessive yawning may mean that you are tired, drowsy, or fatigued. However, it can also be a sign of a medical condition, such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or a reaction to a medication.
If you find you are yawning excessively, it may be best to schedule an appointment with a doctor to determine the cause. In some cases, the excessive yawning may resolve once you treat the underlying cause.
The most scientifically backed theory about why we yawn is brain temperature regulation. Inhaling air can help cool brain temperature down.
Even thinking about yawning can cause you to do it. It’s something everybody does, including animals, and you shouldn’t try to stifle it because when you yawn, it’s because your body needs it. It’s one of the most contagious, uncontrollable actions a body does.
There are many theories as to why people yawn. One popular theory is that yawning helps your body bring in more oxygen. But this theory has been mostly debunked.
Keep reading to see what current research suggests yawning says about you, your brain temperature, and your potential for empathy.
The most scientifically backed theory about why we yawn is brain temperature regulation.
A 2014 study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior looked at the yawning habits of 120 people and found that yawning occurred less during the winter. If the brain’s temperature gets too far outside of the norm, inhaling air can help cool it down.
| You yawn when you’re | because |
| tired | your brain is slowing down, causing its temperature to drop |
| bored | your brain isn’t feeling stimulated and starts to slow down, causing a temperature drop |
| seeing someone else yawn | when you’re in the same environment as them, you’re exposed to the same temperature |
Another reason you may yawn is because the body wants to wake itself up. The motion helps stretch the lungs and their tissues, and it allows the body to flex its muscles and joints. It may also force blood toward your face and brain to increase alertness.
Yawning is definitely contagious. Even videos of people doing it can trigger a yawning session.
Try watching the video below and see if you end up yawning. We’ll tell you what it might mean after.
If you did catch a yawn, then according to a study from Baylor University, it’s a good thing: You’re showing empathy and bonding.
The study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, looked at 135 college students, their personalities, and how they reacted to different facial movements.
The results showed that the less empathy a person had, the less likely they would yawn after seeing someone else yawn.
It’s important to note that these results can’t be generalized. Not catching a yawn isn’t evidence for psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies.
If you feel yourself yawning excessively, try deep breathing exercises through your nose. Your body may need more oxygen. A 2007 study also found that nasal breathing decreased contagious yawning completely in their research.
Breaking up a routine can also help stimulate your brain. Feelings of tiredness, boredom, and stress tend to make people yawn more. Excessive yawning may also stem from taking in too much caffeine or going through an opiate detox.
You can also try taking a walk outside or finding a space with a cooler temperature. If you don’t have time to do this, drink some cool water or eat a chilled snack, such as fruit or baby carrots.
You should see a doctor if you feel like you’re yawning more than usual and experiencing additional symptoms that interfere with your day-to-day activities.
Tell your doctor when the yawning started and about other symptoms, such as mind fog, pain in certain areas, or even lack of sleep. This information can help your doctor diagnose the underlying condition and make treatment recommendations based on individual needs.
There are many theories behind why we yawn. Recent studies and research suggest it’s a way our bodies regulate brain temperature. You may also find yourself yawning more if you didn’t get enough sleep and feel tired.
Read our tips on sleep hygiene for better quality sleep.
Yawning is a natural process inherent in any of us. We all yawn from time to time, and this is absolutely normal. However, at times yawning becomes very frequent, and at first glance - for no apparent reason. In such cases, attention is required, since the condition may be associated with any pathology.
What happens when you yawn?
Yawning is a deep breath that occurs unconsciously, regardless of our will. This is a reflex that we have no control over. We open our mouth wide, take a deep breath, as a result of which a greater flow of oxygen is sent to the lungs than during normal breathing, that is, deeper ventilation of the lungs occurs.
Why does the body need this?
Natural (physiological) causes of frequent yawning
The most common and common cause is drowsiness. It is well known that when we feel sleepy, we begin to yawn. Yawning, in this case, we supply the brain with oxygen, maintaining its activity. For the same reason, we yawn in the morning when waking up, especially if we woke up at an unusual time for us. Yawning contributes to the process of waking up and transitioning to an active state.
Fatigue also causes yawning. When we get tired, the work of organ systems slows down, breathing becomes shallow, and the content of carbon dioxide in the blood rises. In this situation, yawning activates blood flow, helping to remove carbon dioxide from the body.
Mental overexertion is also the cause of yawning, which activates the tired brain.
We also begin to yawn during nervous tension, anxiety. This is due to the high need for oxygen during nervous tension.
We begin to yawn in stuffy, cigarette-smoke-filled, overcrowded subway cars due to a banal lack of oxygen. For the same reason, we yawn before a thunderstorm, at low atmospheric pressure, or in high altitude conditions.
On air travel, yawning helps to equalize pressure in the middle ear, which relieves the feeling of stuffiness in the ears.
Some medications can cause yawning, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, and some analgesics.
Yawning is contagious. About 60% of people start yawning when they see another person yawning, even in movies or on TV. Why this happens is still not entirely clear. One theory explains the phenomenon of "mirror" yawning with empathy - the ability to empathize. This is confirmed by the fact that autistic people who are completely immersed in their inner world, as well as children under 5 years old, are not subject to "mirror" yawning.
But dogs, emotionally strongly attached to the owner, begin to yawn after him.
Pathological causes of Zevota
Zevota is not always harmless, it may indicate the presence of serious diseases, being one of the symptoms of the listed:
This is explained by the fact that all these diseases are to some extent associated with insufficient blood supply, which means that an oxygen deficiency is formed, which is compensated by pronounced yawning.
What should be alarming?
If yawning persists even if you have slept and rested, are in the fresh air or in a well-ventilated area, and lasts for several days, consult a doctor, this phenomenon may be a sign of an illness.
Image copyright Getty Images
Yawning is our body's evolved defense mechanism to help cool the brain and keep it from overheating. This conclusion was reached by biologists from Italy and the United States, who decided to figure out why we yawn and why this process is so contagious: just looking at a yawning person is enough to make you want to yawn yourself.
The results of the study are scheduled to be published in the August issue of the journal Physiology & Behavior.
"Yawning is often grossly misunderstood in both academia and the general public," says lead author Andrew Gallup, professor of psychology at New York Polytechnic Institute.
Not only people, but also many animals yawn. Scientists have long been trying to understand the mechanism of this process and its significance from the point of view of neurology.
blood from the head, that is, it serves for thermoregulation. A new study confirms this hypothesis.
Scientists have discovered that yawning is caused precisely by an increase in temperature inside the skull.
And the purpose of this process - both spontaneous and "contagious" - is to maintain the optimal temperature of the brain for its most efficient functioning.
Previous studies by Gallup and colleagues have already shown that the contagiousness of yawning varies greatly at different times of the year and directly depends on the ambient temperature.
In the northern hemisphere, for example, we are much less likely to yawn in winter than in summer.
The most contagious yawning starts around 20 degrees Celsius. A further increase in temperature has almost no effect on the frequency and duration of yawns.
Image copyright, Getty Images
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This time, in order to test the thermoregulatory hypothesis, the authors of the work alternately applied three compresses to the neck of the experiment participants: cold (4 degrees Celsius), warm (46 degrees) and room temperature (22 degrees).
After holding each compress on the carotid area for five minutes and confirming with thermography that the temperature of the brain had indeed changed, the scientists showed the subjects a short video of nine randomly selected yawning people - and looked to see if the participant himself began to yawn as a result - and if starts, then how actively.
At the same time, for the purity of the experiment, we also took into account how long each of them slept the day before.
As a result, it turned out that the cold significantly reduces the urge to yawn. If, after the application of heat, a contagious desire to yawn arose in 85% of the subjects, then after a cold compress, only less than half of the participants (48%) began to yawn.
Moreover, the total number of yawns when watching a video after a cold compress was reduced by an average of three times.
So, according to the authors of the study, the thermoregulatory function of yawning can be considered proven.
However, the experiment does not answer at least three questions.
First, if yawning is supposed to combat overheating of the brain, then why did a warm compress hardly increase the desire to yawn compared to a room temperature compress - after all, the temperature inside the skull increased?
In their study, scientists offer the following answer: "Yawning is only a compensatory cooling mechanism, and a warm compress raises the temperature of the brain already above the threshold where yawning becomes effective.
