Each of us is on personal experience familiar with yawning. But few people understand what this process is, what function it performs in the body, and whether yawning is as safe as many believe. In the article we will take a closer look at why people yawn, and also consider many other questions regarding such a common and familiar phenomenon.
What is yawning
First of all, you need to understand what yawning actually is. Many people believe that they can control this process. In fact, this is a reflex breathing act, which is characterized by a deep, long inhalation and short exhalation, often accompanied by a characteristic sound.
At first glance, it seems that there is nothing special about yawning, and the problem is not worth considering. However, in 2010, the International Medical Congress was held in France, the theme of which was yawning. The luminaries of medical science from many countries shared their opinions on why a person constantly yawns, why this process is necessary for the body, and when this reflex act becomes a symptom of a disease.
To date, there are no exact, verified and confirmed answers to the questions posed, but there are still certain assumptions. We will talk about them in detail below.
When do people yawn and why is it necessary?
There are several hypotheses about why people yawn and how this process affects the health of the body. Let's take a closer look at them.
- The most common opinion in medical circles about why people yawn is the problem of lack of oxygen in the brain tissue. It is reliably known that during a deep breath, a greatly increased volume of oxygen enters the bloodstream, unlike normal breathing. In addition, during a yawn, the respiratory passages open wide: the pharynx, glottis, and the volume of the nasopharynx and pharynx increases. As you know, when the body is saturated with oxygen, blood flow and metabolism accelerate. This, in turn, leads to an improvement in a person’s well-being and tone. Therefore, in different situations when the oxygen balance is disturbed, congestion blood flow, the person yawns. So, after sleep or long monotonous work, a person yawns. This breathing act helps to cheer up and tone the body.
- Another version of the cause of yawning is the body’s need to cool the brain. This hypothesis is closely related to the previous one, since its essence lies in the same saturation of the brain with a large volume of oxygen.
- Why does a person yawn often during a flight? This is how the body regulates pressure in the middle ear. This happens due to the fact that the canals that connect the pharynx and the Eustachian tubes straighten.
- Yawning is also necessary to relieve muscle tightness. Often the act of breathing is accompanied by stretching of the body. This way the body is invigorated and tuned to productive activity. The fair sex will be interested to know the fact that during yawning, facial muscles are massaged, tightening them and improving skin turgor.
- Why does a person yawn often? The cause may be a serious illness. Let's take a closer look at this issue and offer a list of health problems that can cause frequent yawning below.
- Among other things, such a reflexive breathing act has the ability to calm and relax the body. This is why people yawn before going to bed or during an exciting event, such as an exam, competition or important meeting.
Why do children yawn?
Yawning in children is considered an indicator normal development lungs. It is a reliable fact that children yawn even before they are born. This respiratory act can be observed using ultrasound examination in the fetus at 11-12 weeks of pregnancy. But, if yawning often helps an adult to cheer up, then such a process is extremely calming for a child and becomes a harbinger of sleep.
If parents notice that the baby yawns too often, they need to pay attention to this. Perhaps the baby does not have enough oxygen and there is a need to increase the duration of walks in the fresh air. Frequent yawning in children it may also indicate problems with the nervous system. In this case, an examination by a neurologist will be required.
Why do people yawn in church?
You came to church for the sake of spiritual peace, when suddenly you begin to yawn. You become uncomfortable in front of others and have to leave the temple. Why does a person yawn in church? We hasten to reassure you - this situation happens quite often and does not depend on the age or health status of the parishioner. It is not difficult to explain this phenomenon, knowing the mechanism of yawning. In church, there are several reasons why such a breathing process occurs simultaneously: a stuffy room, dim light, monotonous prayer. All these factors contribute to the inhibition of various body processes, including blood flow. Therefore, there is a lack of oxygen, which contributes to an involuntary reflex act.
Why do people yawn while talking?
Are you talking to a person and suddenly he starts yawning? Do not rush to blame your interlocutor for ingratitude and indifference, and yourself for the lack of oratory abilities and emotionality. The situation is exactly the opposite. The yawning overcame the listener for precisely the reason increased work brain activity. The opponent listened carefully to your story, so his oxygen metabolism was disrupted, and in order to replenish his strength and continue the active work of the brain, the body was saturated with oxygen with the help of a yawn. Now you can safely continue your story.
In the same way, we can explain why a person yawns when talking - overexertion helps reduce the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, and yawning defense mechanism replenishes wasted energy.
Is yawning contagious?
It has been noticed that yawning is “contagious” - as soon as one person yawns, those around them also begin to reflexively repeat it. Why do people yawn even when they just watch a video of a person yawning or read an article about yawning? The answer lies in the cerebral cortex. Are you yawning now? This is how your mirror neurons, which are located in the cerebral cortex, work. They are responsible for empathy and are the cause of contagious yawning on an emotional level. It has been noted that categories of people who have less developed parts of the brain responsible for feelings are not prone to contagious yawn. Such people include children under 5 years of age (although there are exceptions), autistic people and those suffering from schizophrenia.
Signs and superstitions
People have the following beliefs about yawning:
- Cover your mouth with your hand while yawning so that the devil does not enter your soul.
- Residents of Turkey believe that if you do not have time to cover your mouth while yawning, the soul may fly out of a person.
- Indians believe that yawning is a call of death or the devil and that in order to scare away the evil one, you need to snap your fingers.
- In our open spaces, folk healers claim that in the process of yawning the evil eye comes out. And if a person yawns while talking with another, the soul is protected from unfavorable energy.
When yawning becomes a dangerous symptom
Why does a person yawn very often? Frequent yawning is a signal from the body that it lacks oxygen. In this case, ventilate the room, or better yet, organize a walk in the fresh air.
Frequent yawning may indicate fatigue. Take time to rest and good sleep, alternate vigorous activity with breaks for relaxation. We have found out why a person yawns, but how to deal with such a process when it takes us by surprise at the most inopportune moment, for example, during a business meeting or a date with a loved one? How to cope with a reflexive act and, as they say, not lose face in front of others? There are some effective tips:
- Fresh air will saturate the body with oxygen, and the body's need for yawning will disappear.
- Daily morning jogs or others active species exercise will help minimize the possibility of yawning during the day.
- Don't forget about proper rest and sleep.
- While working at the computer, sit upright - this way the diaphragm is not compressed, and air saturated with oxygen is supplied in the required volume.
- Learn proper deep breathing.
- A cold drink or food will eliminate yawning.
- An express method for suppressing the reflex - as soon as you feel the urge to yawn, lick your lips.
- Taking a deep breath through your nose and exhaling briefly through your mouth also helps suppress a yawn.
So, we found out why a person yawns. It turns out that such a simple process carries important functions in the functioning of the whole organism. Therefore, you should not take it lightly. If you yawn for a long time and frequently, be sure to undergo a heart and blood vessel examination under the supervision of a doctor.
You will almost certainly yawn too. You may yawn even while reading about yawning. By the way, have you yawned yet? If yes, then you are in good company. Human beings yawn all day long. We yawn when we wake up in the morning, we yawn when we go to bed at night. We yawn a lot when we watch TV and sit in class. We even yawn while jogging in the park.
Who else besides people yawns?
Humans are not the only creatures on Earth that yawn. Many other animals (from lions to fish) tend to open their jaws frequently in sweet yawns. When we see a person yawning, we think that he is tired or bored. But if your Siamese fighting fish yawns, watch out! The male begins to yawn when he sees a foreign male on his territory. Several yawns follow, one every ten minutes. Then the fish attacks another fish, and a fight breaks out. Some animals, such as monkeys and lions, yawn when they are hungry.
Related materials:
Why, when they want to calm you down, do they give you water?
Why do people yawn?
A common explanation is that we yawn to breathe in more oxygen, for example in a stuffy room. But psychologist Robert Provine, who studies yawning, argues that this is not true. People who breathe pure oxygen yawn no less often than those who breathe normal air. Provine says no one knows exactly why people yawn or why yawning is so contagious. But he's trying to find out.
For many years, Provine conducted experiments with yawning at the University of Maryland. In one experiment, a subject sat in a quiet room and thought about yawning. When he felt the need to yawn, he pressed the button. When the yawning ended, he pressed the button again.
Provine found that average duration yawn for six seconds. One of the subjects, concentrating, yawned 76 times over the course of half an hour. Provine then filmed himself yawning and smiling. When subjects were shown this videotape, only one in five viewers smiled back at Provine, but half the viewers responded with a yawn. Conclusion: yawning is much more contagious than being friendly.
It seemed to me that in order for the jaw muscles not to “stagnate”, because a person opens his mouth completely only when brushing his teeth, and while breathing or eating, we work the jaw by a maximum of a third :))
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I'm in some kind of scientific journal(unfortunately I don’t remember which one) I read that yawning served as a signal for higher primates to collectively go to sleep, which is why it is “contagious.”
It probably looks like this. Initially, yawning was an “unconditioned reflex act” of fish and reptiles under conditions oxygen starvation. For example, a fish in warm water, usually not rich in oxygen, floats to the surface and swallows air. In all “evolutionary descendants” of fish, this “unconditioned reflex act” was preserved. In higher animals, for example, in primates, it manifests itself during fatigue and when the body is preparing for sleep, apparently then the supply of oxygen to the brain is reduced, if only due to a decrease in the general activity of the body. Well, since this behavior was regular when going to bed, and the simultaneous going to sleep of higher primates gave them some kind of evolutionary advantage, then as a result of natural selection, “yawning” was established as “an infectious! unconditioned reflex act.” It remains only to find out what kind of evolutionary advantages the signal of “simultaneous going to sleep” has for higher primates. For example, this assumption: at night, primates still cannot be active, but during the day, if all members of the herd have slept equally well, then, if necessary, they can all show maximum activity at the same time, i.e. there are no tired or sleep-deprived people. In addition, since the animals were active at the same time, in such populations there was a higher level of communication between individuals, and therefore their ability to become more perfect and successful. social behavior in a hostile natural environment (and for higher primates this is especially important), which naturally had a positive effect on natural selection for such populations.
It would be interesting to hear the opinions of experts on this matter.
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But how can I explain the following facts that I have the opportunity to observe in my body?
1. during classes educational courses, lasting 3 hours, often during the second half of classes, the mouth simply cannot close from yawning - and there is no way to overcome it, although there is absolutely no desire to sleep! The strangest thing is that as soon as classes are over, the yawning disappears.
2. the same thing happens during physical activity (active!) - the last hour of fitness is spent fighting yawning, and this continues exclusively until the minute the workout ends.
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“3 hours, often during the second half of classes, the mouth simply cannot close from yawning - and there is no way to overcome it, although there is absolutely no desire to sleep!” Here. And on the sixth pair you will yawn.
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Yes, and I also wonder why we are drawn to yawn when we are talking to a person with whom we are not interested?
Sometimes I can barely restrain a yawn. But as soon as we stop talking, I’m so cheerful again, and I don’t feel like yawning at all. :)
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Or maybe yawning is an assessment of the surrounding situation, that is, whether it is favorable or not for relaxation? After all, as soon as one begins to yawn, others also begin to evaluate the situation around them, and then if they agree that they can rest, then they also begin to yawn.
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It seems to me that yawning is the same as stretching, only for respiratory system. Animals often do both things at the same time. But a person is embarrassed to stretch in public, but can yawn by covering his mouth with his hand. Therefore, in humans these actions are sometimes performed separately.
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Yawning is contagious because nerve centers performing the act of yawning, there is a summation of subthreshold excitation from the receptors of the lungs with external afferentation coming from sensory systems, which record the yawning of another person. Latent excitation in the nerve centers, which has not reached the threshold capable of causing a yawning reflex, thus becomes threshold and is realized in the act of yawning.
Perhaps this really once served as a collective signal for going to bed, I don’t know. Its emergence, in principle, may be secondary - that is, ritualization of this pattern has occurred. But the mechanism itself is like this - a summation of excitations.
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I agree that you really want to yawn just at the thought of yawning and when discussing this topic, and that very often you have to yawn when the brain is clearly overloaded with information, moreover, read in the monotonous voice of a lecturer... how is all this connected with the need to straighten the lungs!?
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You are all right and say everything correctly, but you do not say the most important thing. The fact is that this phenomenon cannot be explained only from the point of view of a materialistic understanding of the world. It's all about complex energy potential. Carry out one simple experiment. Bring your palm to your mouth and simply exhale, remember the sensations in your palm. When you yawn, remember your experience and bring your palm up again, and you will be surprised how much more energy is released when yawning than just when you exhale. The palm simply gets burned, and not just heat is released, but biological (astral-mental) energy. Yawning is a way of equalizing the energy levels of the body and brain. The brain, making up 2% of a person's mass, consumes 20% of all energy. The whole body works for the brain! That is, in the evening, when a person is tired, the energy potential of his body is very low, at this time, when his brain is still working at full capacity and is “overheated,” yawning is diverted from the brain into the surrounding space great amount"unnecessary" in this moment energy, this “cools” the brain, equalizing the energy potential of the whole body, before falling asleep. The most important thing is that this energy is not only thermal. During a lecture, when a person sits for a long time without moving, the energy potential of the body decreases again, the brain becomes “hot” in relation to the body and a protective reaction of the body occurs - yawning - release, removal of energy from the brain, equalization of the energy potentials of the brain and body occurs again. When the body freezes, yawning is also observed - cooling of the brain. In the morning, when you first wake up, your brain starts working much faster than your body. The body has more mass, is more energetic, lazier, warms up slowly, and again an energy imbalance is quickly created between the “processor” and the “hardware” and our “cooler” immediately turns on - yawning. Try to do exercises in the morning, and your energies will quickly equalize, there will be no yawning. Yawning is a way to protect the brain from overheating, and this is typical not only for people, but also for animals, birds, fish - everyone who has a more or less developed brain. The most interesting thing happens after yawning. A clot of energy withdrawn from the brain and suspended in space forms a kind of intelligent energy creation (a kind of intelligent manure), which is urgently needed in the astral world as not only an energy supply, but also an independent energy entity. And this essence begins to quickly lose its energy, radiating it into space or being pulled away by energy vampires of the astral world. There is nothing wrong with this, it is like ordinary biological waste, which is home and food for bacteria and worms. Possessing partial intelligence, this entity is afraid of death, and does not want to be torn to pieces, and begins to actively pump out energy from those around it. biological entities- you and me, in the form of collective yawns, prolonging our existence as far as possible. That's all, everything else: reflexes, oxygen, lungs - is secondary and cannot explain the main thing.
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Vov, very interesting and original interpretation. I have never seen such an explanation anywhere.. please write where you read about it.
I agree with everything except: “A clot of energy withdrawn from the brain and hovering in space forms a kind of intelligent energy creation... urgently needed in the astral world as not only an energy supply, but also an independent energy entity.” “Possessing partial intelligence, this entity is afraid of death, and does not want to be pulled to pieces, it begins to actively pump out energy from the surrounding biological entities - you and me, in the form of collective yawns, prolonging its existence as far as possible.”
about the “clump of energy”... in theory, in order to avoid temperature and energy imbalance between the brain and the body (the person from whom this entity takes it), the body should not give up the energy accumulated during the day...
but everything else surprisingly accurately explains this phenomenon..=)
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Good afternoon
The body does not accumulate energy during the day; it rather expends it and
transforms. A person receives energy either from food or from vampirism.
The brain is the main organ of a person; all other organs are created for it.
service.
Like a car that has been driven all day and cools down in the evening,
parked, so a person “cools down” in the evening, in the morning
"starts up". And like a car, the engine is the hottest in
in relation to other parts, so is the brain of a person tired during the day
is warm and hot. The exhaust clicks as the car cools down
pipe, gurgles with antifreeze, etc. - “yawns”, this is how a person cools down his brain
yawning, leveling the balance of energy between a hot brain and a tired one
body. It's not a waste of energy, it's just a form of fast
putting yourself in order. You can cover the car with a blanket, but it will
“moan” all night and won’t calm down until the morning, so will a person, if he doesn’t
yawn, will not fall asleep and will not rest if he does not lose excess energy
excitement. Maybe with a car it’s not a very good example.
But if a car has just thermal energy, then the brain produces
in addition to thermal energy, there is also a special subtle (astral, semi-intelligent energy).
This energy is structured by the brain into a special cell, a matrix, which has
if I may say so? elements of the mind, since it is produced by the brain.
It's like an animal's warmth, snuggle up to a cat or a dog and you will feel
that the heat they generate is different from the heat of an electric heating pad or battery
heating. But this intelligent energy, not having a material “capacity”
for existence in space quickly comes to naught, melts.
Life lives by living. A person even eating plants, seeds,
absorbs other lives and energies to replenish its own.
There are different energies. Thermal, chemical, biological and energy
"reasonableness". There is nothing scary or creepy about this. This is for everyone
the law of conservation and transformation of energy known in the material world.
With this very energy of radiation of the mind, not only of a person, but also
any object, including the Earth, and the most interesting things happen
phenomena. This energy serves as the basis of life in the astral world - the World of subtle
entities. They are created by our energy, thoughts, emotions. They simply
process it like bacteria in the material world process
waste products of our biological life, making it possible for us to exist in
this world.
A peculiar pillar of the astral, subtle
intelligent energy, which spins a kind of vortex above us, a spin,
a torsion funnel of energy, peculiarly structured (like water,
flowing out of the bath swirls into a vortex). Ancient circle dances,
round dances around dolmens and trees swirled the general whirlwind of the astral
flow around a stone, tree, other place of power, which was modulated
thoughts and desires of the mystery participants. And this prayer is through the astral world
changed the course of events in the material world. This is what they still serve for today.
church services and the tall domes of our churches, on the bulbs of which
These torsion fields are twisted. A person is intuitive or influenced
I selected the shape of the bulbs from the outside to make it easier to twist on their surface
donut whirlwind, and increase the effectiveness of your prayers. And the direction
The rotation of the field is determined by the so-called mentality of earthlings. These torsos
then they live independently, merging into one huge one hanging over
every city and fueled by our energies. And yawning is, well,
a small thing, like cleaning the firebox from burning tons of coal in the boiler room.
But I got carried away and this is a completely different topic...Where did I read this? I don’t remember, there’s a drop of information everywhere, from which
a picture of the world was being built. Or maybe this is the result of reflection or
clarifications, the result of intuitive knowledge of the world.
If interested, write, let's talk...Answer
“The palm simply gets burned, and not just heat is released, but biological (astral-mental) energy.” Firstly, there is NO specific biological, much less astral-mental energy. And secondly, just when you yawn, covering your mouth with your hand, she feels NOTHING AT ALL. A simple exhalation feels like a stream of hot air.
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“In the morning, when you just wake up, the brain begins to work much faster than the body. The body has more mass, is more energetic, lazier, warms up slowly, and again an energy imbalance is quickly created between the “processor” and the “hardware” and ours immediately turns on “ cooler" - yawning. "On the contrary, the body needs 50 milliseconds, while half-asleep of the brain lasts for about six to one and a half hours. And you’re not taking a dictation, where there’s no point in writing correctly. It's the other way around here.
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You are trying to explain the fact that yawning is contagious from the point of view of the theory of evolution. I will not say that this remains an unproven theory, but nevertheless everyone believes in it. Well, God be with him.
And how come the predators didn’t think of hunting like this - they ran into the cave, yawned, everyone around them started snoring - chew, I don’t want to.
Or here is another smart guy with astral egregors, talking about other nonsense here.
And yet, why is it contagious?
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I also gaped while reading the comments. Moreover, my pictures were turned off; I only saw the text. Those. The very concept of yawning triggers the yawning reflex. But, let’s say, if a cat or a dog is yawning at home, I don’t want to yawn at all.
Here they expressed an interesting opinion that yawning serves to bring the body into working condition, and not vice versa. Somehow it didn’t occur to me, but it’s true - if we’re bored, we fall asleep, but we sleep various reasons We don’t go to bed yet - we yawn, the body receives a shock from a sharp influx of oxygen when inhaling and the removal of carbon dioxide when exhaling. And some of the muscles come into tension, just like when stretching.
There are just a few things that are unclear. Why does the mouth open so wide? After all, this is not necessary for a deep breath. It happens to me that the hyoid muscle cramps. The version to stretch the jaw joints is somehow not suitable for activating the body’s work. Personally, only one option comes to my mind - this is how a facial massage is done, because pay attention when we yawn, not only does our mouth open, but many muscles on the face tense. In physical education classes we were told ways to tone ourselves up, one of them was to rub our face with the palms of our hands (by the way, I tested it and it really helps).
The next incomprehensible point is the reason for the “contagiousness” of yawning. All the versions voiced here sound somehow unconvincing. Agree, when a person yawns, a person experiences pleasure; there is even an expression “yawn sweetly.” And all such reactions in the body are caused by their importance for its life (sneezing, eating, scratching, stretching, relieving itself, etc.). Therefore, I do not agree that the reason yawning is contagious is social character. There must be reasons physiological nature. But which ones exactly?
I liked the version that was posted a little higher about energy cleansing. There is something in it, but I still don’t agree with much. I don't understand how the brain cools down when yawning. And the hottest organ is still the liver. Perhaps you meant something slightly different, not thermal cooling? And again, it is not clear why when we ring, we wince and open our mouths if the released energy is of an astral nature?
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Answer
Another holiday has passed. Again, many of us got comfortable and sat watching TV until late. Not wanting to interrupt watching holiday performances, concerts, films. And still, after two hours, you started yawning. Occasionally at first. And then, if nothing special is done, we do it more and more often, from time to time falling into a doze. To the point where we fall asleep in the most interesting place.
So, what kind of obsession is yawning? Sometimes it appears in the most inopportune place, at the most inopportune time. So let's say, the author of these lines watched the film “Repentance” by Tengiz Abuladze twice, and for the first time during the years of its release. And both times I steadily began to doze off by the end of the first episode. Yes, and the whole second one. Although “The Tree of Desire” by the same author, also in Georgian, I watched with the greatest interest back in the seventies.
First, let's look at what others say about yawning. For example, the following note was published back in 2001 in “Arguments and Facts”, in the “Health” supplement, No. 22:
“Yawning is said to have many health benefits. When yawning Airways the person expands as much as possible, the muscles relax, then a brief, but very pleasant for the body, loss of consciousness occurs. Yawning helps the body relieve fatigue, mental stress, “shake off” stress, and renew the air in the lungs. Therefore, do not be offended by those who accidentally yawn next to you. This is not from disrespect and lack of interest in you, it’s just that in this way the person shows that he is relaxed, resting, and feels good next to you.”
And here is another, later message on this topic, which appeared on the Internet a little over a year ago with coordinates: http://www.ria.ua/viev.php?id=20509
“Scientists believe that yawning is not an indicator of lack of sleep, but a physiological action that stimulates brain function. So it turns out that yawning in class is even useful!
Yawning is a reflex act that appears when tired, staying in a stuffy or smoky room, deterioration of the heart and blood vessels, lack of muscle activity, and also in a drowsy state, says physiologist Valentin Zaserdny.
The best way to combat yawning is to ventilate the room. Gymnastic exercises with the window open also help get rid of yawning. A person yawns because his brain is in a state of inhibition, and yawning “stimulates” the activity of brain cells and improves cerebral circulation. And if nothing helps in the fight against yawning Fresh air, nor gymnastics, if it is persistent and prolonged, you must definitely consult a doctor.
It has long been known that yawning occurs most often from fatigue or boredom. But there is a lot of controversy surrounding the physiological process itself. Physiologist Valentin Zaserdny believes that nerve cells in the brain react to fatigue in this way and send a signal to the facial muscles. In most cases, yawning acts as a warning about the transition from wakefulness to sleep.”
In general, the second message is more accurate. In general, others are no different from these two, for example, this one called “Yawn for cheerfulness,” http://intermed.w3.comset.net/news.php?id=295&limit=672. There are also materials that add information about the contagiousness of yawning and the like. But, nevertheless, they are characterized by some one-sidedness in consideration and in approaches.
Are people already yawning or are they still relaxed?!
But, before clarifying the above interpretations, we will give our point of view on the essence of yawning and its usefulness. In general, while agreeing with the description of the physiology of the yawning process, we note that there are not entirely correct interpretations of whether yawning is good or not, for whom and in what case.
Researchers studying a variety of processes human body, including reflective ones, have probably noticed the following long ago. That, just as yawning belongs more to the sphere of the mental, its analogue for the muscles and body - stretching - belongs more to the sphere of somatics, the physical. Both in adults and children. Yes, even among animals. The same dogs or cats.
If you look closely at the times and situations when this happens, you will notice the following.
Firstly, both yawning and stretching are involuntary acts, that is, not initiated by consciousness (we are not talking about their imitation). And they are launched at the subconscious level. The subconscious, at the level of which, figuratively speaking, constant monitoring occurs, tracking how current state organism and psyche, and conditional views on the future of their condition. In addition, it is at the subconscious level that most of the life-supporting processes of the body and psyche are controlled and regulated. That is, they are controlled not by consciousness, not by the cortical structures of the brain.
Secondly, it can be noted that stretching and, especially, yawning, as a rule, are involuntarily provoked at the border between states of the body and psyche, characterized as sleep-wakefulness and wakefulness-sleep. And their first manifestation can be called, so to speak, a trigger switching of the state, respectively, of the psyche and body. Without dwelling here on depressive and related states, let’s say that the behavior of the psyche when yawning, and the behavior of the body and organs when stretching, depending on which side (sleep-wakefulness in the morning, or, for example, from wakefulness to sleep in the evening ) approaches its own, as if antipode, state of the individual - will be significantly different.
After normal sleep, both yawning and stretching occur against the background of partially or completely recovered adaptive capabilities. But they have not yet been adequately included in solving current, updated problems. And, in this case, their manifestations have a kind of push function, leading the psyche and the body out of such a borderline state, “stupor”. These are good yawns and stretches. Although attention and concentration are not yet at their full potential, they are approaching the optimum. Just shake the bonds of sleep a little more. Through an involuntary “afterburner”, triggered in one case by yawning, and in another by stretching.
Yawning and stretching usually occur after a long time of wakefulness, when a relatively long perception, almost at the level of “afterburner”, that is, the same overvoltage - difficult situation, process (lesson, lecture, performance, report, situation on the road, etc.) depletes the optimal current adaptive capabilities for concentration, attention, catching subtle but significant changes - are, as it were, a signal that further engagement with the current activity, process – will no longer be productive. And the perception of the thread or essence of the process, conversation, communication begins to get lost, going beyond the scope of conscious perception. That is, at the subconscious level the attention trigger is reset. Which is equivalent to the fact that under the current circumstances, the deep structures of consciousness (consider the subconscious) are no longer able to adequately perceive information in the same way in the future.
In particular, yawning is provoked by the subconscious and when a tense situation is no longer perceived as dangerous. That is, a conscious analysis of the situation with the silent consent of the subconscious says that the essentially dangerous part of what caused, required attention, tension, composure has already been passed, it has “resolved” or been overcome. That it is not relevant.
who should be upset by others' yawning?
In the second case (involuntary withdrawal from maintaining tension of attention or the skeleton and muscles), the situation begins to slip out of control, since the psyche or body and muscles, in the case of involuntary stretching, are at the limit of their current adaptive capabilities. For some because of monotony, and for others because of unperceived complexity. And without adequate replenishment of adaptation capabilities (or, more simply, rest, recuperation), there will be no adequate response (attention, control of thought, driving a car while driving, actual subtle, calibrated actions, etc.). The monotony of the perception of the situation, the current decrease in the relevance of motivation due to fatigue, helpfully prompt the tired attention that “everything is fine, relax, you’re tired.” Therefore, the monotony of pumping and perception will quickly lead to the situation quickly getting out of control. And the first bell, the signal of this, is precisely involuntary yawning.
This is something that both teachers and teachers especially need to remember. And to all those who want to interest their potential partners when conducting business negotiations. Because at the level of consciousness, your interlocutor, listener, partner can and wants to treat you favorably. But, at the level of their subconscious, the idea is already being formed that you are already “loading” them. Hidden rejection and irritation grow.
In general, if your potential partners are not tired, but during communication with you they begin to yawn involuntarily, take note that your proposals do not seem to them worthy of their attention. Or they are presented in an unclear and complex way. Therefore, if circumstances allow, it is better to correctly wind down and round off communication, preparing for the next time in more detail.
This does not mean that you need to express your thoughts in a complicated way. Simpler and more intelligible. But in such a way as to catch the hook of interest. And then, the situation...
The process of yawning plays important role In human life. We “yawn out of boredom”, we can “miss” the bus, we call “yawners” kids who love to look around and not at their feet. What actually is yawning and is it in any way connected with the processes that are the subject of numerous memes about yawning?
What is yawning?
Yawning in medical and anatomical reference books is explained as a reflex, that is, involuntary, breathing act. Simply put, when yawning, a person takes a long, deep breath, receiving a huge portion of oxygen at a time. When inhaling, the mouth, pharynx, and glottis open wide. The exhalation is relatively short and quick. Often, when exhaling, a person makes a short vocal sound.
Yawning is not only born person– even the fetus in the womb yawns. Many vertebrates also yawn, and some of them yawn when they see a prey or rival - the wide opening of the mouth allows you to show your teeth.
Why and why do people yawn?
Unfortunately, the reasons that provoke yawning have not yet been fully studied and have not been clearly established. Of course, scientists know a lot about yawning, but many of them have their own theories about why people yawn. Perhaps only some of these versions are true, or perhaps all of them at once.
So, why does a person yawn and why does he need it:
- Balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Too much carbon dioxide accumulates in the human blood. The body reacts to this by causing yawning. When a person yawns, he immediately receives a large portion of oxygen, and the balance is maintained.
- Yawning is like an energy drink. Yawning in the morning is necessary for the body to become more active. For this reason, a person yawns when he feels signs of fatigue. By the way, there is a connection between two reflexes: yawning and stretching. These two processes, done simultaneously, not only saturate the blood with oxygen, but also improve blood circulation. Vigor appears, attention increases.
- Yawning is a sedative. People yawn before an exciting event because yawning is energizing and invigorating. It has been noted that yawning affects athletes before competitions, students before exams, patients before entering a doctor's office, circus performers before complex stunts, artists before performances, etc. By yawning, people cheer themselves up, tone their body, which helps them cope with anxiety.
- Yawning is good for the ears and nose. Yawning opens and straightens the channels leading to maxillary sinuses And eustachian tubes(those pipes that go from the ear to the throat), which allows you to get rid of the so-called “congestion” in the ears. Yawning regulates air pressure in the middle ear.
- Yawning for relaxation and relaxation. Paradoxically, yawning can not only invigorate, but also relax. Voluntary yawning is used as a technique in some relaxation techniques. Try to lie down, relax and open your mouth wide - sooner or later the process of yawning will occur. At this moment the body will relax. Yawning prepares the body for sleep, creating a feeling of calm. This is why people yawn before going to bed.
- Why do people yawn when they are bored? With prolonged muscle passivity, blood stagnation occurs. Yawning and stretching at the same time helps you stay active. For this reason, people yawn when they sit, for example, at a boring lecture: you can’t move, it’s uninteresting to listen, the person begins to feel sleepy. And then the process of yawning involuntarily occurs, allowing you to sit until the end of the lecture and, most importantly, listen to it. Some scientists have found through research that yawning itself can relieve mental stress. This is probably also why we yawn when we are forced to listen or watch something that is not at all interesting to us.
- Yawning to nourish the brain. Some scientists claim that during the period of passivity, when we do not move and are bored, performance decreases nerve cells and breathing slows down. When yawning, firstly, the lack of oxygen is replenished (we breathe more slowly during a period of passivity, so the body begins to lack oxygen), and secondly, blood flow in the vessels of the brain improves. The brain receives the necessary nutrition, and we perk up a little - both physically and mentally. The blood supply to brain cells improves because when yawning a person strongly tenses his muscles oral cavity, face, neck. A sort of mini-gymnastics occurs, as a result of which brain activity is activated.
- Yawning as a regulator of brain temperature. According to some scientists, yawning regulates brain temperature, which is why we yawn more often when we're hot. Having received a large portion of cool air, the body “cools the brain”, and it begins to work normally again.
So, let’s summarize the questions “Why do people yawn and why do they need it?” When a person is tired, cold or, conversely, overheated, he needs to cheer up. The body itself regulates this process, causing yawning.
At the same time, the body receives a portion of cool air, thereby regulating the temperature of the brain. The blood is instantly saturated with oxygen, and the blood flow to the brain vessels improves. Yawning is often accompanied by stretching - these two processes, carried out simultaneously, double the effect of yawning.
In a word, yawning is a reflex that a person needs to be in good shape. However, if the body is preparing for sleep, yawning, on the contrary, helps to relax - this function of yawning was inherited to us, apparently, from distant ancestors.
And finally, a few interesting facts about yawning:
- A yawn lasts on average 6 seconds.
- After yawning, a person usually yawns for the second time no earlier than one to one and a half minutes later.
- Women and men yawn with equal frequency.
- Men are less likely to cover their mouths when yawning.
- People who yawn too often or, conversely, too rarely, are advised to consult a doctor - healthy man yawns constantly, but not too often.
- As you know, yawning is contagious. Autistic children usually do not yawn in response.
- According to the results of scientific research, those people who yawn in response to another person’s yawn are those who have a well-developed and especially active area of the brain that is responsible for the need for empathy.
- While reading this article “Why do people yawn?”, you probably yawned at least 2-3 times, or even much more.
The appearance of moles, redness of the eyes, frequent yawning - these and other “little things” can be the cause serious illnesses. Therefore, if you notice that your body is acting up a little, don’t expect everything to go away by itself. After all, in this visual way your body tells you about danger. And you, in turn, should inform your doctor about this!
Any illness on early stage treatment is both easier and cheaper. That's why it's so important to know dangerous symptoms in order to take adequate measures to eliminate them in a timely manner.
Frequent yawning during the day
You sleep enough and get enough sleep, but you suddenly bothered by frequent yawning? Scientists have found that this physiological process helps reduce nervousness and mobilize the body.
It is for this reason reason for yawning often overcomes paratroopers before jumps, athletes before a start, musicians before a concert... Perhaps you have an exam, a public performance or some other serious test coming up? Involuntary yawning increases the body's readiness to act in critical situations.
Other theories suggest that yawning is a complex process in regulating brain temperature. Yawning brings in blood flow and cooler air, which improves brain function. It usually accompanies fatigue, drowsiness, boredom, and a depressed, sad state. If you are in a cheerful, joyful, upbeat mood, you don’t want to yawn.
To stop frequent yawning, as a rule, it is enough to change your position, straighten up and straighten your shoulders, take a few deep breaths and sharp exhalations, if possible, walk around or perform a few simple physical exercises.
If you yawn frequently, you should consult a doctor. When?
Unstoppable constant yawn may be a symptom of certain painful conditions that require medical care. Frequent yawning, combined with excessive weakness and drowsiness, may indicate hormonal changes, chronic fatigue syndrome or burnout syndrome.
Yawning attacks occur during migraine, cerebrovascular accident, vegetative-vascular dystonia, multiple sclerosis, pre-fainting. To find out causes of excessive yawning You should consult your doctor.
Interruptions in the functioning of the heart are periodically disturbing
Such violations do not always indicate a serious problem. Very often, people who experience arrhythmia do not suffer from severe heart disease.
Reasons for violation heart rate may be lack of sleep, taking certain medications, a reaction to stress, or physical activity, smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages. However, there are conditions in which dangerous symptoms appear, sometimes even life-threatening.
When to see a doctor if you have heart problems
If heart rhythm disturbances occur frequently or are accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, darkening of the eyes, it is necessary to carry out full examination to clarify the cause of the occurrence arrhythmias. Arrhythmia may be a symptom of heart failure, thyroid diseases, and various poisonings.
The main method for diagnosing heart rhythm disorders is an electrocardiogram (ECG), stress ECG and daily monitoring ECG.
Eyes often turn red
Hemorrhages can be provoked by increased physical and visual stress, changes in blood pressure, visiting saunas and baths, hypovitaminosis, and food poisoning. Often blood vessels the eyes widen greatly and even burst in those who wear contact lenses.
When to see a doctor if your eyes are red
If the blood vessels in the eyes frequently dilate and burst, this may indicate a bleeding disorder.
You should be aware that a harmless mole can degenerate into melanoma - the most aggressive of all malignant tumors. The risk group includes people aged 30-39 years, primarily women with light color skin, red hair and blue eyes, as well as those who have suffered sunburn three or more times.
Particular caution should be exercised by those who have cases of skin cancer among their immediate family. To prevent melanoma, it is important to regularly check the “location map” of your moles, paying attention to their condition.
When to see a doctor
Do not delay your visit to a specialist if:
- - the mole increases in size;
- - the shape and color of the mole have changed;
- - there is itching, pain or burning in the area of the mole;
- - a red corolla appeared around the mole;
- - the edges of the mole have become blurred;
- - the mole peels off or bleeds.
If you have your own experience of what frequent means and you know the reasons why a person yawns often, please leave a review about it in the comments below.
Lokatskaya Liliana
