Yawning has always been a mystery. No one is really sure why we yawn. However, many scientists have their own beliefs as to the cause of yawning. Here are some interesting facts about yawning below:
Little Known Fact #1
Yawning occurs as early as 20 weeks after conception. Fetuses can yawn as young as 11 weeks old. This can be due to the development of the brain during this stage.
Little Know Fact #2
Yawning is more contagious in close friends or family. If they are related to you, they are most likely to catch your yawn.
Little Known Fact #3
Contagious yawning is blamed on more than just seeing someone yawning. It is also a natural response to thinking about, talking about, or hearing a yawn occur.
Little Known Fact #4
If you’re a healthy individual, you yawn about 10 times per hour. This can occur early in the morning or in the late evening. This means that on average, you yawn about 240,000 times during your lifetime.
Little Known Fact #5
Blind people yawn, after hearing someone yawn. This means that catching a yawn isn’t just visual. If a group see someone yawn, 55 percent of them will yawn within five minutes.
Little Known Fact #6
Yawning activates the motor imitation, empathy, and social behavior parts of the brain. Neurons in the brain, causes you to feel what that person is experiencing. It also commands you to copy the action.
Little Known Fact #7
Not all yawns are the same. Most of us yawn and stretch, when we wake up or go to bed. We also yawn when we are bored.
Little Known Fact #8
Yawns become contagious between the first and second years of life.
Little Known Fact #9
The greater the levels of serotonin, glutamic acid, and dopamine in your brain, the more you yawn. The greater the levels of endorphins, the less you yawn.
Little Known Fact #10
Yawning occurs when there are excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in your blood. By yawning, your body tries to lower the levels of carbon dioxide. If you try to voluntarily increase your oxygen input by inhaling during yawning, the process does not stop.
Sources:
Examined Existence. 11 Interesting Facts About Yawning.
http://examinedexistence.com/11-interesting-facts-about-yawning/
Active Beat. 10 Little Known Facts About Yawning. Author: Anna Fleet.
http://www.activebeat.com/your-health/10-little-known-facts-about-yawning/
Life Script. Unraveling The Facts About Yawning. Author: Kat DeLong.
http://www.lifescript.com/well-being/articles/u/unraveling_the_facts_about_yawning.aspx
Everyday Mysteries. Why Do We Yawn?
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/yawn.html
Healthy Living. Fun Facts About Yawning… Guaranteed To Make You Yawn! Author: Lynette Walczak.
http://health.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/08/yawningandyawns.php
Bliss Tree. Facts About Yawning. Author: Sara Ost.
http://www.blisstree.com/2007/11/11/mental-health-well-being/facts-about-yawning/
Healthizen. Interesting Facts About Yawning.
http://www.healthizen.com/wellness/interesting-facts-about-yawning.aspx
