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Everyone yawns. It is instinctive and involuntary. In fact, yawning has been attested to in almost all vertebrates except for giraffes. The science behind why people yawn is still murky, but scientists say it may have a number of benefits.
Why do people yawn?
There are a number of reasons why humans and other creatures across the animal world yawn. The first is respiratory, according to Psychology Today. Yawning increases blood flow to the heart as well as lung capacity. It also may increase oxygen to organs and tissues, but it does not raise overall oxygen levels.
The second reason animals and humans yawn, according to verywell health, is arousal. It may be a defense reflex against drowsiness or boredom. Yawning increases activity in the precuneus, a small area of the brain connected to consciousness, spatial orientation, and memory.
In addition, there may be a social aspect connected to yawning to remain awake or aware. It may signal to other members of the group to also be vigilant and be aware. In 2022 a study in Animal Behavior showed that yawns served a cue for other members of the animal group to improve their vigilance.
The third reason why people yawn may be to relieve inner ear pressure, according to verywell health. As anybody whose ears get stuffed up and uncomfortable on a plane or driving through the mountains knows, yawning can help relieve that pressure.
Finally, yawning may lower body temperature and cool the brain. This theory has been raised due to the fact that yawning often occurs after an event that raises body temperature such as migraines or an epileptic seizure.
Empathy and yawning
It is still unclear as to why yawning is contagious. But it is, and can even be contagious cross-species. A dog may yawn after seeing their person yawn.
According to Psychology Today, this may have something to do with empathy. Children on the autism spectrum, who have a hard time understanding emotions in others may not be able to contagiously yawn. Likewise, a study of 135 non-autistic college students showed that the more empathetic the student, the more likely they were to yawn in reaction to seeing someone else yawn.
Whatever the case, yawning, such a small innocuous, involuntary act, done daily, is actually a larger part of the human place within the animal kingdom. It is something we share with all vertebrates – except giraffes – though no one knows why giraffes don’t yawn. Perhaps yawning can be an empathetic moment shared between different species.
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