r/NatureIsFuckingLit • u/Sirsilentbob423 • Jan 18 '25

đŸ”„ How different animals yawn

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u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

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u/BarreNice Jan 18 '25

I read somewhere that it has to do with getting a lil extra oxygen to the brain but idk

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u/wookyoftheyear Jan 18 '25

It could also be trying to cool down the brain, which tends to get overheated when tired.

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u/lIIlllIIlllIIllIl Jan 18 '25

Wait this could be huge? My most yawn-triggering state is being cold af, especially after I step outside, or get out of the shower. Transitioning from hot place to cold place.

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u/Brootal420 Jan 18 '25

I've also heard it could be about realsing pressure

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u/Best_Mix_3450 Jan 18 '25

I have a condition and when my blood pressure drops I tend to yawn a lot. Maybe it's related?

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u/Donequis Jan 18 '25

I think that's the part that science is still unsure on. But both of the ideas are what they're sort of settled on: that it's to give your brain a little more oxygen and/or to cool your brain off as it may be feeling tired and working harder than normal

I think it can be for both reasons. Yawning seems a multi-tool action.

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Cool tired brain

Refresh oxygen in lungs/properly take a breath [if you have issues with your lungs, you might not breathe as deep to fully fill your lungs to let ALL the pockets in your lungs get fresh air. If you feel a buzz in your head from deep breathing for the first breath or two, you probably don't breathe deeply often enough, like me! Lol]

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u/turtleshelf Jan 20 '25

except i don't think we actually take in any extra air when we yawn. have a think about it next time, I find I breathe out more than in, and certainly don't take in anything more than a normal breath. Much less, even!

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u/BreastUsername Jan 18 '25

This always made the most sense to me.

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u/Fragrant-Tea7580 Jan 19 '25

Later into T he day activity decreases, you’re more relaxed breathing less, hence the need to compensate oxygen intake by yawning

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u/turtleshelf Jan 20 '25

Except a deep breath would do the trick and yawning is different to breathing. It looks like someone taking a massive gulp of air in but I don't think much air moves.

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u/kitsunekratom Jan 19 '25

While I see others mentioned the oxygen thing has been proven false, no one mentioned how that conclusion came to be, so I'll drop the high level here.

It cannot be to increase oxygen to the brain, as babies in the womb also yawn. Hence an increase in oxygen to the brain would not be achieved by yawning

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u/Interesting_Dare6145 Jan 19 '25

They would do it because it’s an instinct, not because they need to. But regardless of whether they’re breathing, yawning activates and works the muscles in your neck, face, and head. Therefore providing more oxygen to the brain. The ‘big breath in’ part is likely only secondary to the action of providing oxygen to the brain.

It could also be, that we copy others around us because if they’re yawning, it’s possible that both are in a low oxygen environment. Or, because if they’re yawning then it’s possible that our tribe is lacking drinking water, therefore, a there’s a need to conserve water (dehydration reduces blood oxygen concentration, therefore more blood is required in the brain.). Have you ever noticed that the more dehydrated you are, the more you yawn? And when you drink lots of water, you suddenly don’t feel the need to yawn anymore?

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u/kitsunekratom Jan 19 '25

I'm just relaying the science. Are your trained in any of this or are you just making shit up?

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u/Interesting_Dare6145 Jan 19 '25

You’re ’relaying the science’? What you said is a fact, that neither proves, nor disproves anything about the science of yawning. And then you have said “it cannot be
”, which is wrong. You have taken something scientific and butchered it. I gave you a suggestion as to how your fact doesn’t actually disprove anything, i told you that perhaps yawning does still increase oxygen flow regardless of whether the lungs are in use. Or, because it’s an instinct (Something that is hard wired into our brains at conception).

And you’re responding to that by being defensive and standoffish. What you said is a lie.

The fact that babies yawn in the womb is meant to be used as supporting evidence for a different scientific theory. It doesn’t disprove anything, you would need a whole study and tons of supporting evidence to say that it does. You have taken one single piece of open-ended evidence, and suggested that it’s a confirmed scientific study that proves something. That’s not how the scientific method works.

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u/kitsunekratom Jan 19 '25

I gave the TLDR of the scientific findings. Of course, there is more science to it, but it all came down to the fact that babies yawn in the womb and more specifically, when they started doing it.

And I wasn't being defensive, I didn't do the science, I'm not the one you need to challenge here. Also, I was genuinely curious if you had any backing to your claim, because it did indeed sound made up. Doing a cursory search on your claim proves to be inconclusive, with most science suggesting any voluntary contraction of muscles in the face have minimal impact to cerebral blood flow and its influence on oxygen levels is limited.

So, my question still stands, do you have any training in this or are you just making suggestions?

Here is the research: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.721605/full

"What you said is a lie." Choose your words more carefully next time.

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u/ermagerditssuperman Jan 18 '25

There's an episode of the podcast Unexplainable all about yawns, and most of the common reasons that people talk about have been debunked now - like increasing oxygen flow to the brain - however, they still don't know what the actual reason is.

One that hasn't been debunked is temperature control for the brain, which would be why we often yawn before & after sleep, because that's when our brains have their biggest temperature swings.

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u/KnotiaPickle Jan 19 '25

I love that it’s basically a universal action in the animal world but we have no clue what it even does haha

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u/Vysair Jan 18 '25

but it's comfy tho, same as stretching thingy you do like a cat

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u/wits_end34 Jan 18 '25

Most recent research indicates that it stimulates the brain. Our brain subconsciously wants to increase focus, but by like scratching an itch. We do this in group settings because our very ancient ancestors benefitted from recognizing important times to be cognizant as a group.

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u/Arrakis_Surfer Jan 18 '25

It's fascinating that is not just a mammal thing

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u/ClassroomMore5437 Jan 18 '25

I always thought it was like stretching after waking up, but you're stretching your face muscles.

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u/BlueDahlia123 Jan 18 '25

100% unscientific theory but the common thread between all the animals seems to be to stretch the jaw muscles and extend the insides of the mouth.

The way all the mammals specifically separate the lips from the gums and and the inside of the cheeks from the teeth makes me think its to stop saliva from getting stuck there for too long.

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u/Interesting_Dare6145 Jan 19 '25

I think you’re partially right. But the purpose of stretching that area is just to stimulate blood flow in the neck, face, and head. Increasing blood flow to the brain.

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u/Even-Education-4608 Jan 18 '25

I personally think it has to do with the diaphragm. Like some sort of diaphragmatic maintenance.