Why do we yawn? The reasons and benefits of an erroneously repressed practice

Yawning is frowned upon on a social level to do so in public, as it is interpreted as a lack of respect and a sign of boredom with the interlocutor. But everyone yawns. We begin to yawn already in our mother’s womb, in the 11th week of intrauterine life, and later, in the course of our lives, we can yawn some 250,000 times. This natural phenomenon, instinctive and irrepressible it is completely indispensable.

In fact, if we knew how natural and healthy yawning is, how it relaxes the solar plexus, rebalancing the autonomic nervous system, activating the hormonal system and the immune system, we would never say that it is a sign of boredom, or a desire to sleep. But, What is yawning and why do we yawn?

Why do we yawn and why is it so healthy?

You can yawn out of boredom, laziness, when you are hungry or want to sleep: it relaxes and calms you down. But when the yawning is not done for any of these needs, also creates relaxation and calms the nervous system central. That is why we can make ourselves yawn: it is an anti-stress weapon that oxygenates our brain.

When yawning, an irrepressible need to separate our jaws to take a deep breath is generated. Our body thus expresses the need a change of paceeither by the desire for food, by sleep, by the need for calm, and this makes us know in a more or less noisy way.

During the day It is good to provoke him when there are moments of pressure and stress. A large intake of air followed by a period of apnea causes our diaphragm to stretch and our lungs to fill with air. Then comes a deep sense of well-being.

we all yawn

The act of yawning is an automatism linked to the primary motor cortex: the more we want to suppress it, the more we want to yawn. In addition, as I am sure you have been able to verify, it is highly contagious.

There is no yawning center in our brain, but everyone yawns and all ages. The human being and the animal (cats are great teachers!): the fetus from the 11th week of pregnancy, mammals (except giraffe), reptiles, birds, even fish.

It is an archaic reflex that we share with most vertebrates and we all do the same: wide opening of the mouth, deep inspiration to open the airways and contraction of the muscles of the face.

what is yawning

Yawning is an involuntary mechanism that cannot be repressed and that involves many muscles. In fact, up to 54 muscles are involved in the act of yawning: oral, cervical, respiratory and facial. Curiously, these muscles are antagonistic to each other: some help to open the mouth and others close it.

The effects on the body are these:

With yawning there is a activation of the parasympathetic systemwhich is the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary activities (organs, etc.). relaxes the sympathetic system, which is what activates our body, makes us always alert and allows us to react to emotions and concerns. Yawning suddenly interrupts this reaction and thus our body can relax. Through the fascias that surround the muscles, the musculo-articular system relaxes and the tension of the meninges and the spinal cord is rebalanced. Numerous neurotransmitters are involved in the development of yawning: dopamine has a central rolesince it activates the production of oxytocin by the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, so that yawning can produce pleasure.

There is a theory that yawning would have a thermoregulatory action: it would serve to oxygenate and cool the brain, but it also plays a clear role in nonverbal communicationspecifically in primates in which the act of yawning depends on testosterone.

curiously yawning is contagious, by behavioral replication (what is known as echokinesis). Blind people, if they hear someone yawn, are also infected.

They are also a empathy sign. Just talking about yawning already makes you yawn.

why do we yawn when we wake up

The association of yawning with muscle stretching is called pandiculation, which is more commonly known as wake up.

These are gestures that often go together, especially in the morning: as soon as the yawning starts, the whole body stretches and opens.

It is not accidental: while the yawning occurs, the sound is less, the eyelids are closed, there is a sensation of bodily fullness and contact with the environment is lostthere is a brief well-being.

Can yawning a lot be harmful?

Yawning it can be a warning, a symptom of hypoglycemia, dizziness, or an incipient migraine. Some health problems, including heart disorders, multiple sclerosis or epilepsy, can cause excessive yawning. Also the drowsiness of people who suffer apnea at night.

It may also be the case that you cannot yawn, as in the case of people affected by the Parkinson’s disease who are not receiving treatment.

But beyond that, yawning is a natural and healthy act that induces well-being and that we can provoke.

Yawning in case of ligamentous hyperlaxity

Yawning is generally safe, although care must be taken do not exceed the opening of the jaws abruptlyas this can cause a subluxation of the temporomandibular joint, which can be uncomfortable and painful.

This lesion occurs mostly in people who have ligamentous hyperlaxity. There is homeopathic treatment for hypermobile constitution: Calcarea Fluorica 30CH (3 granules once a week) and Rhus Toxicodendrum 15CH (3 granules once a day if there is pain).

make yourself yawn

It is a fundamental exercise that we can practice at any time, and especially during the day, when we need to cut with our activitybecause we lack concentration, because the body calls us to order (tensions in the back, the neck…)…

A “big yawn” should always precede workto study, to food, to sleep… in short, to all our activities.

The yogis, who are pragmatic people, encourage yawning or its first cousin, the sigh. In the preparation exercises for the sessions, the diaphragm muscle is worked on, relaxed, stretched and then toned to give the rib cage back all its freedom and flexibility. At that moment the body then knows that we are going to take care of it, gets ready. It is a powerful sign that we send you.

I don’t know about you, but I confess that I have been yawning during the preparation of this article. You have to yawn: it’s a powerful anti-stress, it’s free and more effective than many drugs and has no harmful side effects!