Yawning is a very common cause in adults. Causes of frequent yawning in humans

» What does yawning mean?

Why does a person yawn and what does it mean when you yawn?

According to Dutch psychologist Walter Seuntjens, who spent eighteen years studying data from a variety of sciences, yawning has a mainly erotic meaning. Consciously or not, it represents an invitation to sex. The sensations that accompany yawning are often even described as a “mini-orgasm.”

To support his thesis, the scientist mentions that yawning in macaques is a sign of sexual alpha dominance, and therefore superiority (which, it turns out, is the reason your bosses are annoyed when you yawn in meetings). So don't yawn in the office. Your colleagues will have every reason to view you with suspicion.

Countgents believes that there is still no satisfactory explanation for yawning. He says the traditional explanation for hypoxia - that yawning is the body's way to get more oxygen - has yet to be proven. In fact, the phenomenon of yawning is still a mystery. “In fact, we really have no idea what causes yawning and what purposes yawning serves, what mechanisms are responsible for it, or even what basic anatomical components are involved. In an era when the human genome has already been deciphered and space travel is becoming commonplace, this verdict may sound like an insult,” he writes.

The psychologist also claims that when taking certain antidepressants, yawning can cause spontaneous orgasms. He adds: “When discussing pathology, I found that yawning and spontaneous ejaculation were mentioned together.” He presented the results of his research in the work On Yawning or the Hidden sexuality of the Human Yawn, published by the University of Amsterdam in 2004.

Why do you want to yawn?

We yawn when we are tired or when our hungry stomach screams. However, there are also yawns that express aggression or boredom.

If you exclude savory yawning, when your eyes simply get stuck together, then repeated yawning by your interlocutor does not necessarily indicate that he needs rest.

Inappropriate yawning may be a subconscious reaction to suppressed aggression. He yawns not because he is bored, but because his counterpart (i.e. you) is boring or annoying him. Therefore, if your interlocutor yawns continuously, try to end the conversation as quickly as possible. He should apologize for not getting enough sleep if your conversation puts him to sleep or if your arguments get on his nerves.

Why do you often yawn while covering your mouth with your hand?

Is it really just a matter of politeness, elegance, or hygiene that makes people cover their mouths when they yawn? The real reason in another: there was a time when they believed that the soul could slip out along with the exhalation if the mouth opened too wide. That's why it was necessary to cover your mouth, which was opening from fatigue, with your hand - to prevent premature departure souls. The same hand simultaneously served as an obstacle that prevented evil spirits take the opportunity and penetrate the body.

What does yawning mean?

Your counterpart yawns with his mouth closed.

Such yawning is most often a reflex. Quite often it betrays the active skepticism of the yawner. Your interlocutor doubts your integrity in general and yours in particular.

Your interlocutor yawns, mouth wide open.

Yawning without covering your mouth is a sign of contempt or bad upbringing. It’s better to know in advance how to approach this, especially when it comes to work. “This is just a brilliant idea,” says someone, stifling a yawn. Even a compliment is unable to hide the disdain evident in the gesture; Absolutely nothing changes if the conversation takes place over the phone.

Why does a person yawn often?

Frequent yawning is a sign of boredom combined with active aversion.

If your interlocutor yawns several times while covering his mouth back side palms, it means that your counterpart is completely uninterested in everything you say. Lower the curtain! This is a signal of rejection.

Your interlocutor yawns continuously, covering his mouth with his fingertips and tapping his lips with them.

It was very likely that the fingers called the mouth to order, inviting it to remain silent instead of entering into unnecessary debate.

Your interlocutor yawns, covering his mouth with a half-closed fist.

The gesture being performed is a symbol of obvious rejection! A closed hand is always a sign of aggression.

Prepared from: Messinger J. C. Ces gestes qui vous trahissent - Paris: France, 2013

Every person knows what yawning is, how difficult it is sometimes to stop and impossible to control. This process is complex, although few people know why people yawn, what the dangers of this phenomenon are, and whether it should be combated. It is especially alarming for parents if the child constantly sighs without visible reasons. You should not treat such a sign carelessly - it may indicate undesirable processes in the body that need to be dealt with immediately.

What is yawning

Before deciding whether yawning is dangerous, you should understand why it attacks and what factors can cause this phenomenon. The peculiarity of the yawning reflex is that it is impossible to control the attacks. They arise against the background of a lack of oxygen in systems or organs.

It happens that mirror yawning attacks - it’s enough for one person to start attacks for those present in the room, and it’s difficult to stop opening your mouth. Even scientists cannot understand the inexplicable process and write it off as a mere coincidence.

Frequent yawning is another problem that some people know firsthand. Infants suffer from its appearance, alarming their parents.

Don't worry - in the process, the baby's lungs are saturated with oxygen, while simultaneously activating the functioning of organs, including the brain.

That is, yawning is usually associated only with the fact that the brain does not have enough oxygen, and we reflexively try to increase its flow by yawning regularly. That is why in a stuffy room a person wants to sleep, fatigue and laziness attack.

Why we yawn: additional reasons

Why the problem occurs is a question that worries many people if the attacks begin suddenly. People yawn for several reasons, including:
fatigue;
drowsiness;
hunger;
indifference, lack of interest;
lack of sleep;

early awakening. In adults, the causes of frequent yawns are hidden in nervous disorders

– the body notifies that exciting communication or a long-awaited event is ahead, for which it is better to tune in in advance. Unstable blood pressure and its fluctuations can also stimulate attacks. This phenomenon should not be considered a symptomatic process - after getting rid of the cause, yawning stops on its own.

You should be wary if a newborn sighs frequently, drawing air into his lungs - this process indicates undesirable processes in the body or even complex diseases. A baby's yawn often indicates the following problems:
disorders in the nervous system;
anxiety, fear;
severe stress;

hunger. frequent sighs baby - damage or the evil eye, and they use special prayers to protect the child.

Don't be careless with alarming symptoms– if yawning continues without losing intensity, only a visit to the doctor will help, who will determine why the child is suffering from unpleasant attacks.

Need to cool the brain

Scientists from America, who have spent decades in research, have found that frequent yawning is a sign of brain overheating. This often happens during mental work. Hot climate, lack of ventilation and fresh air indoors also cause this dangerous manifestation, which threatens the brain with complications and decreased performance. If there are several yawns in a row and at the same time there is a lack of oxygen, the person is suffocating, covered in sweat, you need to immediately provide necessary help- ventilate the room, take it out into fresh cool air, cool it with a fan or a simple newspaper.

If a child yawns very often and the room is hot, parents should not be careless about this. It is urgent to reduce the temperature in the room using available devices. Overheating of the brain in children can develop into a dangerous complication. If, in addition to alarming symptoms, the child complains of fatigue and general loss of strength, you should immediately see a doctor.

Fatigue

Yawning for no reason rarely occurs, so it is imperative to determine what factor stimulated its prolonged manifestations. Unpleasant yawns are a symptom of fatigue, especially if a person is engaged in mental or physical labor during the night hours intended for sleep. You should not try to determine why you yawn - a long rest after work, even if it is not sleep, will help cope with the problem.

Yawning, if you don’t want to sleep, sometimes indicates emotional exhaustion. Victims of attacks are people mental labor, writers, artists, writers, journalists. Even prolonged reading, which supplies the brain with a lot of information that does not have time to be absorbed, can cause yawning.

Information overload

A person yawning is not a rare phenomenon; there may be several reasons for this, and one of them is the abundance of information received that the brain has not had time to assimilate. Such processes can occur in classes, in cinemas, even while watching a scientific program. If you are bothered by constant yawning while reading an information publication, you can safely say that this indicates overwork, and it’s time to take a break and let your brain rest.

If you constantly want to yawn, especially for a person who does mental work, and you can’t resist, the reason lies in overwork. You definitely need to take a vacation and rest, otherwise irreversible processes in the nervous system may occur or develop complex diseases requiring long-term treatment.

The need to be cheerful

Scientists have conducted research into why people, when they are very sleepy, begin to sigh regularly. Proven results - a person tries to deceive the body and cheer up. By taking a long breath, the lungs are saturated with oxygen and activate the work that has decreased in anticipation of sleep.

It happens that a child notifies that he needs to fall asleep with the help of rapid yawning. Even if it’s not time to go to bed yet, it’s better not to torment the baby and put him to bed.

In general, frequent and prolonged yawning indicates many problems, so you should not try to determine all the factors. Prolonged sleep is the most effective method Deal with it.

Oxygen starvation

Lack of air in the lungs is another reason for frequent yawning. The amount of oxygen can be controlled by yawning - just take 3-5 deep breaths to feel relief. But if you do not allow the body to get enough sleep after saturating all important systems or organs with oxygen, yawning will continue, only getting worse.

Yawning during oxygen deprivation should allow air to penetrate deep into the lungs, so there is no need to hold back - sighing often is useful and necessary. Only after the attacks become less intense can you go to sleep - the systems and organs are saturated with oxygen.

Nervous tension

Before you get rid of yawning, you need to understand the factors that stimulated the occurrence of attacks. Often problems with the nervous system accompany deep breaths, even during the day.

Bouts of yawning in the background nervous exhaustion or disruptions should not be ignored. You definitely need to go to a psychologist who will help you understand the complications and recommend best options getting rid of the problem. It is often enough to rest enough and shake off signs of fatigue for the attacks to stop for a long time.

What diseases can cause yawning

Why do we want to sleep and often yawn afterwards? good sleep– patients often turn to doctors with such questions. The answer from medicine is predictable - to provoke alarming manifestations diseases may:

diseases of blood vessels, heart, brain;
high pressure;
arterial thrombosis;
depression;
problems with genitourinary system(in men);
vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Yawns during sleep are considered especially dangerous - they certainly alert you to illness.

How to get rid of yawning in children

If a child yawns often and a lot during sleep, parents should immediately take the baby to the doctor. If no health hazards are visible, frequent yawning throughout the day may indicate an uncomfortable room temperature. It is enough to ventilate, increase the humidity, and install air conditioning to reduce the intensity of the attacks.

If the child suddenly begins to yawn, the attacks continue all the time without interruption, you should not hesitate to contact a doctor.

Most likely, the baby needs help. After diagnosis, the pediatrician will tell you in detail what measures to take to get rid of alarming signs.

How to stop yawning

Before you get rid of yawning, you should find out the reason that caused the attacks. If you constantly want to sleep, you should not endure it, but immediately go to bed. Yawns often signal that it is time to rest and the body requires recuperation. Napping at night helps to invigorate a sleepy and tired brain and set it up for active activity throughout the next day.

To get rid of the contagiousness of yawning, if there is a person in the room who caused a wave of attacks, it is enough to go out into the fresh air and take deep breaths 3-5 times. The lungs will be saturated with oxygen and the mirror yawns will stop. If there are difficulties with the body, and yawns are caused by diseases, the doctor can recommend nutrition, diets, and vitamins. The right diet

, introducing vegetables, herbs, fruits of trees and shrubs into the menu will help cope with the problem. Reasons There are many, it is not easy to determine the main factor that provokes attacks. It is better not to do this yourself, but to be examined by a doctor. The doctor will diagnose the disease that causes yawning, or will calm you down if everything is normal with the body, and only a long rest or full sleep is required.

Everyone knows what this process is. Usually the phenomenon is associated with fatigue and the desire to sleep. When communicating with other people, many people, noticing that the interlocutor is yawning, conclude that he is not interested in their company (this, by the way, is refuted by modern scientists). But there are other reasons why a person is overtaken by this phenomenon.

Those who are most interested in the causes of yawning are those who experience it constantly, which also happens quite often.

As a rule, a person’s ideas about this manifestation are very poor, because it is usually perceived as a normal physiological process. In most cases this is true, but sometimes the phenomenon can signal illness.

What it is?

This process is an uncontrolled reflex, an involuntary prolonged act of breathing. A yawn consists of a slow, deep breath, accompanied by a quick exhalation and, in some cases, a sound.

Thus, during it, a person takes in a lot of air, due to which blood supply improves and the body is saturated with oxygen. In addition, the muscles of the neck, mouth, and face are involved in the process of yawning, due to which there is more oxygen and nutrients enters the brain.

Due to this, they are eliminated from the body harmful substances, and brain activity improves. This is not surprising, because respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, skeletal and muscular system, due to which the lack of air is compensated and the work of organs is activated.

That is why, when it is necessary to improve the functioning of the body, a person begins to yawn. Many people notice that one of the times of day when the phenomenon occurs most often is in the morning.

During rest, all processes, including brain ones, slow down significantly, and upon awakening, their activation is necessary, which explains frequent yawning in the morning.

Benefits of the phenomenon

All doctors agree that this manifestation is very useful, and here's why:

Thanks to it, metabolic processes, the performance of the brain and other systems are normalized;
Ear pressure is normalized;
During this process, the blood is saturated with oxygen, and therefore the facial skin is nourished and rejuvenated;
In the process, swallowing air is often accompanied by stretching, straightening the shoulders, arm movements, etc. All this gives physical stress to the back, arms, legs and other muscle groups;
Jaw muscles are connected to nerves visual organs. Because of this, during a yawn, the eyes rest, because their level of tension decreases.
That is why in most cases this process only brings benefits. But sometimes it can indicate the presence of some ailments in the body. Thus, the causes of its occurrence can be classified into 2 groups.

Physiological

As a rule, they are the ones who provoke yawning. There are many such reasons.

Lack of air

This is the most common reason. The phenomenon can be observed if a person is long time in a stuffy room. In conditions of lack of air, the brain tries to obtain as much oxygen as possible, which is necessary for normal activity.

If a person spends little time on fresh air, and is often located in practically unventilated, stuffy rooms, yawning and lack of air can be observed constantly.

In this case, the solution is obvious. It is necessary to spend more time in the fresh air and ventilate the rooms where you are. By receiving a sufficient amount of oxygen, the brain will no longer suffer from oxygen starvation, which is very dangerous.

This is not the only thing that can be done for constant yawning and lack of air. Try to breathe through your nose - this is the most useful way of getting air, since more oxygen this way gets into the organs and systems, into the brain.

The need for brain cooling

American scientists have found that the brain can overheat. This means that its critical temperature is exceeded, which is also why there is a decrease in brain activity.

This may be caused by an increase in temperature in environment. Thus, the process acts natural mechanism, promoting brain ventilation.

To relieve the condition and cool down, you need to apply cold compresses to the forehead. It is also necessary, as in the previous case, to breathe mainly through the nose.

Decreased body activity

The state of wakefulness is characterized by heterogeneity. It consists in the fact that phases of activity are replaced by phases of inhibition. During the latter, the activity of the whole organism slows down somewhat. This is accompanied by the accumulation of metabolic products in the blood.

Yawning promotes recovery heart rate, blood flow, stimulation metabolic processes, which, in turn, promotes the removal of metabolic products from the body. As a result, activity intensifies nervous system, brain.

Emotional stress

In this state, a person often falls into a stupor. By yawning this can be avoided.

It is so inherent in nature that the body’s reaction to potential danger– numbness, respectively, slowing down brain activity. The process allows you to saturate the body with oxygen, which will bring the brain out of this state and activate its activity.

Fatigue, lack of rest

This is another common reason. The provocateur of constant yawning may be chronic lack of sleep, staying awake at a time when you should be resting.

If a person does not get enough sleep, his brain is not rested, it means that he is not able to work fully. To restore activity, he needs air.

A person may notice that he is overcome by constant yawning, even in cases where he spends a sufficient amount of time in sleep, but the daily routine is shifted. The body must rest at the time of day provided for this by nature - at night. Doctors say that when the regime shifts, the body does not receive sufficient rest, which is why all the activities of all systems suffer.

In this case, constant yawning means only one thing - that you need to go to bed on time and start your day in the morning.

"Chain reaction"

It sounds, of course, rude, but it has long been known that when one person yawns, many of those who surround him this moment, immediately repeat after him. A single explanation for this phenomenon has not been found.

Modern doctors say that such a reaction is usually shown by people capable of sympathy and understanding. This is why scientists refute the theory that constant yawning during communication is a sign that a person is not interested in his interlocutor.

Diseases

Although a harmless phenomenon, the process can still in some cases be a symptom of an illness.

It is noted that the phenomenon is observed in a pre-fainting state, but the latter is accompanied by other symptoms (blurred vision, dizziness, changes in pressure and body temperature, etc.). Sometimes it is a harbinger of an epileptic seizure.

In addition, this manifestation of the body may indicate:

Multiple sclerosis;
Disorders of thermoregulation in the brain. It, among other things, contains the causes of oxygen starvation;
Hormonal imbalance;
Problems with blood circulation;
Vegetative-vascular dystonia;
Depression. The depressed state of a person also contributes to the inhibition of the body’s activity, therefore, it requires activation of its processes.

A person yawns in the womb and after birth this process accompanies his entire life. At this time, the chin lower jaw lowered, head thrown back, eyes closed. In addition, the actions are accompanied by stretching of the muscles. Scientists still cannot explain in detail the mechanism and significance of these movements. It is difficult to say why, when a person nearby yawns, it is so difficult to resist yawning in response.

Physiological reasons

Yawning does not always signal that the body wants to sleep. There is an opinion among scientists that it indicates a deficiency of oxygen in the body, but yawning is not associated with breathing. It has already been proven that a fit of yawning can strike people both in moments of boredom and during energetic activities.

Scientists are trying to explain this process for various reasons, including psychological and physiological. From a physiological point of view, yawning is provoked by the following factors:

Yawning is necessary to maintain normal ratio carbon dioxide and oxygen. As a result of this act, a strong inhalation occurs open mouth and a sharp exhalation, which enriches tissues and organs with the oxygen necessary for normal functioning.
Yawning is a sedative for the nervous system, helping to overcome stress, which is why it can overcome exciting communication.
Acts as a stimulus to trigger the energy reserve that occurs as a result of oxygen enrichment after yawning. Brain activity is activated, albeit for a short time.

During the study, scientists noticed that during a boring lesson, students or schoolchildren can yawn more than 20 times within an hour in order to somehow invigorate the body and set it up for work.

The reason yawning occurs before bed is to help the body relax and prepare for sleep.
This process is triggered when the ear feels full as a result of a pressure imbalance.
It is believed that in this way the brain temperature is regulated. That is why the desire to yawn arises during stuffiness and heat in the room. During this movement it is done deep breath, which means more oxygen penetrates the body.
There is a version that myocardial infarction or existing tumors can irritate nervus vagus, passing from the head to the stomach, which provokes many reactions, including frequent yawning.
The reasons may be hidden behind neurological conditions; for example, it has been noted that patients diagnosed with epilepsy often yawn, which is again associated with a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Yawning is a consequence of the onset of a period of inhibition following excitation. Some functions are inhibited at this time, the amount of metabolic products in the blood increases, which provokes this process.
An empty stomach can also cause yawning.
If you didn’t manage to get enough sleep, you will definitely have a desire to yawn.

The listed versions of yawning once again confirm that constant yawning can be not only a symptom of lethargy, boredom, drowsiness, but also some diseases in the body.

If, while yawning, an adult experiences a feeling of incomplete inhalation or lack of air, then you should see a doctor and have your lungs checked. For representatives of the fair sex, such sensations may be a symptom of breast cancer.

From a psychological point of view

Psychologists explain the reasons for this process from their point of view. The cause of constant yawning may be prolonged stress or nervous overload. Such an act can provoke an attack of fear or anxiety, because at this moment the body's need for oxygen increases.

Depression is also often characterized by the appearance strong desire yawn. During similar situations The human body is in dire need of hyperventilation, which provokes yawning.

Features of the child's body

If a child yawns often, this does not mean that he mirrors the movements of his parents. Young children do not yet have such feelings as empathy, so the “mirror” act is unusual for them.

If parents notice that their child is constantly yawning, then the following problems can be suspected:

disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system;
stress;
fear;
anxiety;
nervous overstrain.

If you suspect psychological or neurological problems, you should visit a specialist. But most often the reason is quite banal - oxygen deficiency. In such situations, there can be only one recommendation - to walk more with your baby in the fresh air.

Function

Even scientists are not yet ready to give an exact answer to this question. There are many opinions and versions, and among them the following can be considered the most reliable:

Yawning serves to improve the supply of oxygen to tissues.
This act helps restore brain function, so it can attack while doing monotonous or boring work. As a result, blood circulation is activated, the mind is enlightened and performance increases.
Psychologists claim that yawning is intended to relieve stress, tension and psychological fatigue.
Yawning is intended to relax tense and tired muscles of the neck and the whole body, because it is not without reason that during this process we try to stretch.

Yawning is an important and, as it turns out, necessary reflex for the body.

Why is yawning contagious?

Each of us has noticed that as soon as the person next to you yawns, such a desire is immediately transmitted to the interlocutor. What is the phenomenon of contagiousness? Scientists are trying to explain this for two reasons:

"Nonverbal reflex"

According to this theory, the act of yawning is passed on from one person to another due to “primitive memory.” Ancient people did not know how to speak; they communicated with each other using facial expressions and gestures. When it was time to go to bed, the yawning of the tribe leader meant that it was time to sleep. Everyone else had to respond with support. This is a clear demonstration of group behavior, the actions of one person trigger chain reaction. Yawning is contagious, as is laughter.

The tendency to empathize explains the contagiousness of yawning.

Numerous studies by foreign experts confirm that not everyone begins to yawn in response, but only those who have the most developed part of the brain responsible for the ability to empathize.

Surprisingly, it is almost impossible to control the process; if someone nearby yawns, the desire to yawn also inevitably arises.

Some scientists believe that yawning is more contagious than laughter because it is beyond our control. One act of yawning lasts about 6 seconds and in half an hour you can yawn up to 75 times. Here are some more interesting information about it:

The frequency of yawning in men and women is the same, but the fair sex prefers to cover their mouth with their hand at this moment.
If, when the desire to yawn appears, you look at a person, then this process is unlikely to succeed.
It is not possible to control yawning with consciousness; if it starts, it can be repeated once every 60 seconds.

But humans are not the only ones who have the ability to yawn.

In the animal world

Those who have pets can confirm that they also don’t mind yawning. There are plenty of such individuals in the animal world:

Baboons, sitting on a branch, yawn to show their relatives and enemies their terrifying fangs.
Just after being born, little hedgehogs already know how to yawn.
Looking at pelicans, it is sometimes difficult to recognize whether the bird is yawning or has simply opened its mouth to dry its mouth pockets.
Hippos open their mouths the widest. If he tries to breathe in this way, the child will be able to fit into his mouth.
Baby dogs and cats are simply adorable when they yawn.
Koalas in eucalyptus trees are notoriously slow and lazy, so it's not surprising that they yawn constantly.
The ostrich opens its beak quite wide after waking up.
One might assume that the turtle is opening its mouth to scare away the enemy, but closed eyelids confirm that the animal is yawning after all.
Squirrels even delicately cover their mouths with their paws when yawning.
Even fish are capable of performing the act of yawning, but for them it most often serves as a demonstration of readiness to attack the victim.

These are our smaller brothers, they don’t even want to give in to us in this.

What causes yawning during prayer?

Many people wonder why it is difficult to overcome yawning during prayer. If you talk to the priest, then, as a rule, he will assure you of the presence of damage or the evil eye. But scientists, as always, have logical explanations for this phenomenon:

It has been noted that most often the act of yawning is observed in the morning or evening hours, namely during this time is running church service. The body either has not yet fully woken up or is in a tired state. In both cases, there is a lack of oxygen for the brain, which provokes yawning.
While reading the prayer aloud, one may experience the usual anxiety before big amount of people.

Believers also claim that if a person begins to yawn during prayer, then the body is cleansed of all negativity.

Interesting information from esotericists: if yawning constantly begins while reading affirmations, then this means that the person has some obstacles to the implementation of his plans. You need to undergo cleansing and remove negativity from yourself.

The protruding tears during a yawn are easily explained purely physiological reasons. During yawning, the eyes are closed, which causes pressure on the tear sacs. As a result tear fluid is released, but does not always have time to drain into the nasopharynx.

Control measures

If yawning appears sometimes, for reasons known to you, then you should not specifically get rid of it. It's natural physiological response body. But, if frequent yawning is observed, regardless of the condition and time of day, then treatment may be required. There are several methods to get rid of this act.

Exercises

The method is called “Deep Breaths”. The idea is to regularly take a few deep, slow breaths every 60 minutes. If you feel that an inappropriate yawn is approaching, then you need to inhale deeply through your mouth and exhale through your nose.

You can do without sighing and use the usual cold water with which to moisten upper lip, and then the bottom one.

Healthy sleep

Considering that constant daytime yawning is often caused by lack of sleep, it is advisable to devote enough time to rest at night. In this case, you need to know how much sleep the body needs to recover.

You can lie down for 20-30 minutes during the daytime. This time is enough to relax and recuperate, but not enough to fully immerse yourself in a sound sleep.

Watch your back and lead a healthy lifestyle

Even the ancients said: “A person is only as healthy as his spine.” This truth is still true today, perhaps even more so than before. Constantly sitting in front of a computer monitor is not in the best possible way affects posture. In addition, sitting in a half-bent position puts pressure on the diaphragm, which can lead to the desire to yawn.

If we take into account the lack of oxygen as the cause of yawning, then playing sports and an active lifestyle will help. After physical activity blood circulation accelerates, the brain is supplied with sufficient quantity oxygen and there is no desire to yawn.

Walking in the fresh air in any weather, and if you also give up smoking and other bad habits, then the body will only say thank you.

Reconsidering nutrition

Food from our table affects the functioning of the body and its condition. To prevent and combat yawning, the following recommendations will help:

The diet should be varied and complete.
Should be on the table all year round fresh vegetables and fruits.
Provide healthy nutrition.
Eliminate sweets and fast foods.
Try to drink about 1.5-2 liters of water a day, but reduce the amount of coffee before bed.

Food must supply the body with the necessary substances for normal operation and health, and not littered with toxins, carcinogens and useless carbohydrates.

Medicines for pathologies

If it turns out that the provocateur of frequent yawning is a disease, then you can get rid of it only after treatment of the underlying pathology.

Yawning due to disturbances in night rest is eliminated by normalizing sleep. To do this, you need to consult a doctor and undergo a course of therapy. medicines, eliminating the problem. Sometimes involuntary yawning movements are observed during therapy with certain drugs, for example, SSRIs, then you can discuss with your doctor the question of reducing the dosage.

Yawning occurs due to various reasons, including physiological, psychological and emotional. During a conversation with a friend who suddenly yawns, it is not surprising if the interlocutor repeats the action. But we must remember that if yawning constantly accompanies you for no apparent reason, then it is advisable to see a doctor so as not to miss the onset of the development of a serious pathology.

We yawn when we wake up in the morning and fall asleep in the evening. We yawn during boring meetings and during long pauses. We yawn as soon as someone nearby yawns.
It would seem that such a habitual reflex or ritual. But it’s surprising: researchers are still confused about the reasons for its appearance.

What is yawning?

Yawning is a breathing process that occurs involuntarily with a long, deep inhalation and a relatively quick exhalation. The mouth, as a rule, is wide open and this breathing action is accompanied by a peculiar sound, and for some, tears also appear reflexively.

Yawning is normal in most cases physiological phenomena appears when there is a lack of oxygen, stressful situations, overwork, but may be a sign of certain diseases in the body.

Causes

The most common version is that yawning is a defense mechanism, allowing the brain to relieve fatigue by invigorating with a fresh dose of oxygen, and at the same time getting rid of excess carbon dioxide. Statistics and research support this hypothesis: people are most likely to yawn at times when their gray matter is tired and clearly in need of rest - for example, in the evening after a hard day at work, during a boring meeting, or during an overly complex lecture.

A yawn is essentially the same as inhaling, allowing the lungs and blood to become saturated with oxygen. However, as it turned out, people yawn even if you give them something to breathe pure oxygen, - that is, the reflex opening of the mouth is in no way associated with hypoxia (lack of oxygen). With what then?

Yawning is needed to cool the brain, one of the newest and increasingly popular theories tells us. A computer or laptop, for example, cannot function without a built-in fan: under heavy load, the processor overheats and, if it is not cooled in time, may fail. Our gray matter works on a similar principle: with prolonged or intense work, its temperature rises, which impairs connections between neurons and ultimately has a destructive effect on thinking. Therefore, the brain needs cooling - this can be facilitated by open window or a walk in the park, a glass of cool water, or (since neither the walk nor the glass is shining) a sweet yawn.

In principle, the cooling theory is confirmed by experiments. For example, volunteers who had an ice compress applied to their forehead while watching boring movies yawned 2 times less often than a group of volunteers without a cooling compress. So, if you feel like you're gaping, be sure to note: Your brain is overheated and would benefit from a walk in the fresh air.

Why yawning is contagious

To make sure that there are no simple explanations for yawning, it is enough to remember the well-known fact: this reflex is contagious. As soon as someone yawns, an epidemic of yawning covers the majority of those around them.

Neither oxygen starvation, this cannot be explained by overheating of the brain, because physiological processes each one occurs individually, which means they cannot be simultaneous. This means that the reflex has some other meaning. And he was actually discovered after stumbling upon another fact.

Yawning in people begins not only with visual contact with someone yawning nearby: often, to start the process, you just need to think about yawning, read about it, or hear the specific sound of yawning. It follows from this that a reflex is not always a physiological process, but also a mental one.

After conducting research, scientists came to the conclusion that yawning is contagious due to mirror neurons. They are located in the layer of gray matter of the brain not only of people, but also of some animals and birds and are endowed with the property of empathy - they begin to get excited when we see the actions of others. These neurons are responsible for the ability to imitate (for example, when learning foreign languages) and empathize. They force us to consciously experience the emotions of other people, which is actually called empathy.

Roughly speaking: You yawn means you have empathy and are able to function in social groups. It is assumed that our ancient ancestors in this way determined “their own” - those with whom they could play in a team. By the way, as experiments show, children under 4 years of age and those who suffer from autism are not susceptible to mirror yawning: they have not yet learned to act according to social laws. However, even this Interesting Facts yawning is not limited to.

Yawning can be “infected” both from person to person and from person to dog. Research by Swedish scientists proves that dogs can yawn when yawning people come into their field of vision, and the older the dog, the more prone he is to reflexive imitation, and for puppies less than 7 one month old yawning is not transmitted.

If we talk about spontaneous, non-imitative yawning, then different animals have their own reasons for it. The same dogs often “reflect” when they are nervous - for example, when they find themselves in an unusual environment. While waiting for lunch at the zoo, the lions begin to yawn intensely. Hyenas - when preparing to attack a victim. Many monkeys, by opening their mouths wide, show their superiority in a pack of relatives. From time to time birds, turtles, crocodiles, snakes yawn...

But herbivores yawn much less often than cold-blooded and carnivorous animals. For example, it is extremely rare to see a horse, cow, camel or hare yawning. This, by the way, leads scientists to believe that yawning may be somehow related to the level of intellectual development: those creatures whose IQ is higher yawn more often than “silly ones.”

What could frequent yawning be a sign of?

Frequent yawning in itself cannot be a sign of any disease. Its appearance can be triggered by lack of sleep, fatigue, stress, nervousness, overeating, and boredom. In that case, this normal reaction the body to such factors. Once they are removed, yawning will return to normal. By the way, a person yawns at least 10 times during the day.

The presence of other symptoms with frequent yawning may be a sign of illness. For example, when constant drowsiness and frequent yawning, a possible diagnosis is vegetative-vascular dystonia or cardiac arrhythmia.

Dizziness with blurred vision, increased body temperature along with frequent yawning may be a harbinger of an epileptic seizure.

How to overcome yawning?

There are situations when yawning is inappropriate. There are several ways to deal with it:

When the next yawn approaches, you need to take a deep breath through your mouth and exhale through your nose.
Many people find that taking a sip of water or wetting their lips with it helps.
Adequate sleep prevents frequent yawning.
Exercising will keep the body alert, saturating it with oxygen. You can do squats, push-ups or others physical exercise, which will increase the tone of the body.
Proper nutrition and drinking the required amount of water throughout the day prevents frequent yawning.
Don't slouch. Smooth posture promotes complete filling of the lungs with oxygen. When your back is bent, the diaphragm is not completely saturated with air, which can cause increased yawning.
Walking in the fresh air, ventilating the room, and quitting smoking will help get rid of causeless yawning.

Video: Why do people yawn?

It is important to understand that yawning is a natural positive breathing action that activates the body and is not in itself a sign of illness. So the attitude towards the phrase “Don’t yawn!” It's worth reconsidering a bit. Yawn and be healthy.