There has been much speculation as to why people yawn. Hippocrates in 400 B.C. suggested that yawning might be a response to fever. He likened the process to that of steam escaping from a pot of boiling water. Centuries later in 1923, British neurologist Sir Francis Walshe noticed that partially paralyzed patients seem to regain certain motor functions during the few second duration of a yawn. He found certain patients who were unable to flex their fingers could do so when yawning.
Johanna de Vries, an obstetrics professor in Amsterdam, observed that one of the first things humans do, even during the fetal stage, is yawn. Robert Provine, a neuroscientist, indicated that yawning is indeed a spontaneous action and part of our biological programming. We have no control over it.
Yawning is an involuntary process. When you yawn, the thoracic muscles in your chest, your diaphragm, your larynx (in your throat), and the palate of your mouth are all involved. Yawning also helps wet your lung’s air sacs. Air is inhaled, accompanied by a stretching of the eardrums, followed by an exhalation. Extra oxygen is carried to the brain and other parts of the body through the blood, which makes you more alert.
We may yawn before bedtime when we are tired, and the brain starts slowing down. We yawn when we wake up in the morning. It is almost as if this triggers our body to get into “wake up mode”. We also tend to yawn when we get bored, as the brain becomes less stimulated. We often yawn when we see someone else yawn.
There are times when an unexpected yawn can be embarrassing. It gives the impression that you're bored, and that’s not something you want while you're in the middle of an important meeting. Here are a few guidelines to help keep you from yawning at those that you prefer not to:
·
Take
a few deep breaths through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
·
Drink
a cool beverage. During important moments, keep a
cool beverage handy. If you feel the need to yawn, take a sip of ice water.
·
Snack
on cool foods such as refrigerated watermelon or cucumber whenever you want to
avoid yawning.
·
Keep
your environment cool. One reason we yawn is when the brain's temperature is too
warm. It’ll help to avoid sitting in a hot environment.
·
Use
a cool compress. If you really want to make sure you don't yawn during that
important meeting, press a cool compress against your head and hold it there
for a minute or two before heading into the meeting. This should keep you cool
enough to ward off the yawns until you get back to your desk.
“If you touch your tongue while yawning, it
can stop the yawn.” (WTF Fun Fact #226)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Tips
to Avoid an Embarrassing Yawn” by Deborah
Enos
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