* The medical term for yawning is oscitation. It involves simultaneous stretching of eardrums and air inhalation which is then immediately followed by exhalation.
* Most of the vertebrates in this world yawn and that includes humans, dogs, chimpanzees and others.
* Yawning is extremely contagious. Even hearing the word ‘yawn’ can trigger yawning. Even looking at or hearing someone yawning can make us yawn.
* So, what makes us yawn? This is one everyday mystery that scientists have failed to solve conclusively.
* One of the most popular theories out there in market is that when the level of oxygen in the body depletes, we yawn to get the necessary influx of oxygen.
* Studies however reveal something different. As a matter of fact, yawning actually reduces oxygen intake as compared to usual respiration.
* Another bit of study found that yawning never decreases whether in level of oxygen is increased or reduced in inhaled air. So no wonder, reduced levels of oxygen in blood leads to yawning is not really a theory that everyone agrees to.
* Another theory says that yawing helps to stretch the throat and tongue, which are important muscles responsible for helping us to swallow, breathe and talk and yawning just helps to stretch and refresh them and helps in lymph circulation.
* Some say that yawns are caused by chemicals in brain. These chemicals are the same ones that control our appetite, our mood, our emotions and several other things. Proponents of this theory say that the chemicals that are responsible are nitric oxide, glutamic acid, dopamine and serotonin.
* Experts who support the chemical theory say that when more (or probably less) of these chemicals are activated in the brain, it leads to yawn.
*Yawning is categorized as ‘contagious yawning’ and ‘spontaneous yawning’. Contagious variant is quite self-explanatory, isn’t it? It simply means that we yawn when we see or hear others yawing. Spontaneous variant is the type of yawning where we yawn because of physiological or psychological reasons like fatigue, boredom, stress etc.
* According to Harvard Health Publications, a person yawns about 10 times an hour and this is pretty much independent of gender, age, diet, physical fitness etc. On an average, a person yawns 240,000 times in whole lifetime.
* Studies show that if you are NOT able to resist contagious yawning, it simply means that you are pretty empathetic. So, those with medical conditions like schizophrenia or autism are not much prone to contagious category of yawning.
* Really! Believe us when we say that there is absolutely no side effect of yawning. If you happen to have forcefully resist yawning – contagious or spontaneous, nothing really happens. Your jaws don’t ache, your throat never swells up… just nothing happens! Why? Scientists are yet to figure out!
* There is something called ritual yawning. This isn’t very much seen in human primates but studies conducted with baboons show that alpha males will get busy with a series of long yawns. The purpose is to tell others in the group that it is bed time. Ritual yawning is nothing but a non-verbal communication.
* As we age, our tendency to yawn reduces and this is true not just for spontaneous variant but also for the contagious spectrum.
* A study from Harvard University has found out that yawning is not always nonsensical. In fact yawning can actually mean serious health conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease or even Migraine Headache.
* On an average, a typical yawn lasts for about 6 seconds.
* There is always a significant spike in the heart rate during a yawn. Why? No one knows!
* Scientists say that dogs yawn when they see humans yawning and also under circumstances of uncertain feelings.
* Yawning is an activity that can help athletes prepare prior to a competition – you can ask Apolo Ohno, a speedskater who is notorious for his pre-contest yawning ritual. Since yawning cools the brain (especially the frontal lobes), the athlete will be able to improve his concentration and attention span prior to the race.
* Yawning Cleans Your Blood. It turns out that there's not a simple answer for why we yawn. When we're yawning, our body is doing ALL OF THE THINGS, including bringing more oxygen into our bloodstream while at the same time cleansing it of carbon dioxide. It's almost like our bodies are creating a filter and our mouths are the giant opening.
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