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Why do I Yawn When I'm Tired?

J.Gunsch
J.Gunsch

Scientists are not really sure why we yawn however, there are four popular theories. Some believe that we yawn when we are tired because it helps to arouse us or prevent us from falling asleep. The reasoning behind this is that every time you yawn, your heart rate increases by as much as 30%. A yawn also causes your lungs to expand to full capacity which allows them to absorb more oxygen. The increased heart rate causes the blood to pick up the extra oxygen at a faster pace, helping you to remain alert. The same physiological response produced by a yawn helps to energize you and get you going upon waking from sleep even though you may not necessarily be tired.

Another theory as to why we yawn when we are tired has to do with an excess of carbon dioxide in the body. It is believed that the exhalation during a yawn expels the carbon dioxide which is responsible for making us feel tired. In this way the carbon dioxide theory is very similar to the one stated above. However, experiments designed to test this theory had participants breath high concentrations of carbon dioxide. The studies showed that higher exposure to carbon dioxide did not cause people to yawn more than they usually do.

Dogs, like people, often yawn after waking up from sleeping.
Dogs, like people, often yawn after waking up from sleeping.

A third theory involves evolution. Some researchers speculate that our ancestors would yawn as a form of communication. A yawn would signify members of a group to change their activity. One of these activities could very well be going to sleep. This would not only explain why people yawn when they are tired but also why yawning is contagious. In fact yawning is so suggestive that you can easily start a chain of yawns by simply feigning one. Even reading or thinking about the word yawn may be making you yawn right now.

Yawning is believed to provide a way to stretch the muscles in the jaw and neck before and after sleep.
Yawning is believed to provide a way to stretch the muscles in the jaw and neck before and after sleep.

Finally yawning is believed to simply be a way of stretching the muscles in the jaw and neck before and after sleep just like you would stretch any other part of the body. Stretching is important both before and after sleep to help your body to relax, release tension and maintain proper alignment. This means that yawning when you are tired helps to prepare your body for sleep.

Some people believe yawning helps to prevent people from falling asleep.
Some people believe yawning helps to prevent people from falling asleep.

These theories all seem reasonable, but they are still just theories. No one really knows for certain why people yawn. There hasn’t been much research on the subject probably because people have been yawning all their lives, even before birth, and most of the time it isn’t bothersome apart from when someone is expecting you to pay attention to them!

Discussion Comments

anon159107

@comfyshoes - I agree. I've had a lack of sleep over the last few nights which has caused me to yawn more.

I'm finding that when I try to interpret something at work which I do not understand or does not interest me I'm yawning more.

However, upon engaging my brain in a couple of games of checkers, looking up this site, and writing this post, I've not yawned once even though I'm thinking and writing about yawning.

Prior to writing this I thought I couldn't stay awake because I was so tired and yawning so often but I feel OK now because my concentration and level of interest has risen in the last 15 minutes.

anon110450

When people wake up even after a very sound sleep, they often still yawn. They can not be particularly tired then. Yawning while being bored would signify a desire to change activity to do something else such as sleeping or something interesting.

Humans evolved from social animals and it makes sense that the group should coordinate it activities, and yawning may well have been the means to coordinate that prior to the development of language.

comfyshoes

Justus- I never really thought of it that way. But I have to respectively disagree with you. I think the reason why people yawn is mainly due to lack of sleep and boredom.

Because when you're engaged in something and having fun, and are well rested you don't yawn.

I think when you yawn you actually need to rest more. Although yawning is very normal, when the excessive yawning is combined with stress or trouble breathing, then this condition may be an immediate problem in which you may need to see a doctor.

justus

every time i hear or see or even read yawn, i yawn. i am a very lazy person and i think that is why some people yawn because they are lazy. the more you yawn the lazier you must be!

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    • Dogs, like people, often yawn after waking up from sleeping.
      By: katamount
      Dogs, like people, often yawn after waking up from sleeping.
    • Yawning is believed to provide a way to stretch the muscles in the jaw and neck before and after sleep.
      By: kmiragaya
      Yawning is believed to provide a way to stretch the muscles in the jaw and neck before and after sleep.
    • Some people believe yawning helps to prevent people from falling asleep.
      By: ChenPG
      Some people believe yawning helps to prevent people from falling asleep.
    • The exact reason for yawning remains uncertain.
      By: blanche
      The exact reason for yawning remains uncertain.
    • Yawning may be a sign of boredom.
      By: apops
      Yawning may be a sign of boredom.
    • Excessive yawning can be a precursor to falling asleep.
      By: Kaspars Grinvalds
      Excessive yawning can be a precursor to falling asleep.