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What makes yawning a common involuntary reflex?
Why is yawning contagious? Thanks for asking. We all yawn regularly, without giving it much thought most of the time. Harvard Health Publishing says that people yawn between 5 and 20 times per day on average. Indeed, it's a completely involuntary reflex which sets in very early on in our existence, as fetuses in our mother's womb.
Yawning mobilizes the respiratory, face and neck muscles and is most often associated with a feeling of relaxation and well-being. Nevertheless, it's often perceived as something we do when we're bored or tired. As a result, it can be considered impolite to yawn when someone else is talking or without placing your hand over your mouth. Does yawning serve a purpose?
Yawning is a more complex reflex than most people would think. Its role is still pretty mysterious to this day. It was long mistakenly believed that the purpose of yawning was to bring more oxygen into the body. But as reported by Science.org, research has shown that breathing and yawning are controlled by different mechanisms. A more credible theory is that it regulates brain temperature.
which drops when we're tired or bored, as our brains are slowing down or not feeling stimulated. Most often it happens during the transition periods when we have just woken up or are about to go to sleep.
So why do I yawn when my partner does, even if I'm not tired?
There's no definitive answer, but the phenomenon of contagious yawning has been widely studied, leading to several hypotheses. And it's not unique to humans. It's been observed in a number of species, including other primates, lions and domesticated dogs.
Many experts believe that contagious yawning is a communication tool used by social animals, and it's possible that it evolved to synchronize group behavior. In 2003, New York University researcher Stephen Platek published a study demonstrating that contagious yawning is probably linked to the theory of mind, according to which we are all capable of empathy.
He suggested that contagious yawning is down to the activation of nerve cells called mirror neurons when you perform a task or observe someone performing the same gesture. A study from Stanford University published in 2019 suggested that children with autism spectrum disorders yawn less than others by mimicry. They seemed to have lower levels of oxytocin, a hormone linked to empathy.
There could therefore be a correlation between oxytocin levels and sensitivity to the yawning of others. While yawning might be considered as being impolite in some contexts, and we might refrain from yawning as a result, it's good to bear in mind that it is just a natural occurrence. So if someone yawns while you're talking, try not to take it too personally. There you have it!
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