The real reason of yawning

[Andrew.]

The Yawn Explained: It Cools Your Brain

Dec. 15, 2008 -- If your head is overheated, there's a good chance you'll yawn soon, according to a new study that found the primary purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature.

The finding solves several mysteries about yawning, such as why it's most commonly done just before and after sleeping, why certain diseases lead to excessive yawning, and why breathing through the nose and cooling off the forehead often stop yawning.

The key yawn instigator appears to be brain temperature.

"Brains are like computers," Andrew Gallup, a researcher in the Department of Biology at Binghamton University who led the study, told Discovery News. "They operate most efficiently when cool, and physical adaptations have evolved to allow maximum cooling of the brain.

Oh lawd, sauce:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/1...rain-head.html

[MentaL]

[Wilsongb10]

Pretty Logic, For example if your bored in class and your stressing that means your head is Overheating as its stated above.

[Ambrosiax]

On hot days I don't yawn, usually just when I'm sleepy or bored.

How is that picture a source?

[theninjaway]

I don't believe it. It sounds like BS.

[scrat55]

I don't believe it. It sounds like BS.

/agree... how does yawning cools you up? i learn in Biology that its to boost you up. Make your heart and other parts of body work better... since when you yawn more then the usual amount of air gets into your lungs... therefore more air is in circulation in your blood and it boosts you up a lil. thats why ppl yawn when they are fatigued...

[blyddlyl]

No wonder I yawn every night after using the computer for 12 hours.. My brain has overheated ><

[Ron]

On hot days I don't yawn, usually just when I'm sleepy or bored.

How is that picture a source?

If you actually read the link before posting for once...

Based on the brain cooling hypothesis, we suggest that there should be a thermal window in which yawning should occur," Gallup said. "For instance, yawning should not occur when ambient temperatures exceed body temperature, as taking a deep inhalation of warm air would be counterproductive. In addition, yawning when it is extremely cold may be maladaptive, as this may send unusually cold air to the brain, which may produce a thermal shock."

[Laced]

If you actually read the link before posting for once...

Thank you for correcting them for me.

And that's a logical explanation for yawning.

[Chelseaa]

Sounds logical to me, also.
I always thought it was to take in more oxygen when your body is in need of it.
Kind of like your brain saying that it needs more oxygen-rich blood cells or whatnot, so you yawn.

Wasn't that a theory at one time?

[ChronoTrigger]

I yawned when I saw the topic title. Go figure.

[scrat55]

Sounds logical to me, also.
I always thought it was to take in more oxygen when your body is in need of it.
Kind of like your brain saying that it needs more oxygen-rich blood cells or whatnot, so you yawn.

Wasn't that a theory at one time?

isnt that wut i tried to explain... u r a no-reader too i guess...

[iNs@nE]

Well pretty much makes a lot of sense when compared to real life situations so I'll believe this one ... :)
Could be very well true, If yawning is a cooling exercise, then sleep is indeed the re-activation.

[Jessin342]

why does thinking about yawning make u yawn?
i had this nice eassy on a sat or pssa about yawing lets jus say that i yawned a lot.



OoO i have 711 in my post count >.>

[kuribohgx]

I yawned while reading this.
Sometimes I yawn when im bored. Explain that. o.o

[Ambrosiax]

If you actually read the link before posting for once...

First of all he edited it so if you know what your talking about for once.
How the hell would your brain heat up then? Its not a computer, if you leave it on it will not over heat.

I'm not going to read a whole bullshit post, I'm sure you do the same to post sometimes.

[Ron]

I'm not going to read a whole bullshit post, I'm sure you do the same to post sometimes.

You sir, are an idiot.

If you're not going to read the news topic over what the thread is about, then don't post in the thread. It's as simple as that.

How the hell would your brain heat up then? Its not a computer, if you leave it on it will not over heat.

http://www.gatorteams.com.au/visitor...ive_200406.asp

To answer your question since you apparently don't ever read any links people post, yes, if the brain is working in a hot environment it will overheat, just like a computer. If you need it even more simple, you will get dehydrated and your brain will become too hot to function.

That is something you should learn in 9th grade biology, if not sooner.

[Deva]

I heard the most retarded comment on yawning on the bus tday by a girl sat behind me (couldn't help buyt over hear, she did pretty much shout it though) - but apparently, well according to her; you yawn when seeing someone else yawn because subconciously you think they're breathing in all the air and you yawn back to try get some. Yes it is the most stupidest thing I think I ever heard in my life.

Anyway as far as I knew, going off my biology lessons; when you yawn - especially after waking up or sitting down (anything which requires little or no movement) only makes you yawn because your heart doesn't need to pump as much blood around the body, therefor you don't need as much oxygen in your body. During respiration as we all know when you breath in your lung exchange carbon dioxide and the oxygen, but of course not all the carbon dioxide is exchanged so you kind of have an ubalanced thing going on when your not exchanging the gas as fast. So from there you yawn to release the excess carbon dioxide trapped in your lungs and woop woop there you have it. Well, from my biology teachers reason anyway.

EDIT: Forgot to post on topic lol, it does kind of make sense but what I explained imo makes more sense to me
P.S. Biology was never my strong suit I sucked, only was at a B grade level :(

[Ron]

@ownage:

That doesn't really make sense. Why would you yawn if you didn't need more oxygen? You inhale just as much as you exhale.

You breathe slower when you're idle, not yawn.

[Deva]

Yeah but I thought when you exhale you breath out some oxygen too not just carbon dioxide, so if you exhale same as you inhaled you'd have some excess carbon dioxide still in your lungs. I don't mean you yawn to inhale more oxygen, well you sort of do intake a bit more, but i mean when you yawn you fill your lungs up with more oxygen to exchange with the excess carbon dioxide and get rid of it. I'm sorry if that didn't make sense again lol but I really do suck at explaining this especially when I had it explained to me a year ago (don't remember it word for word)

[exclamatio]

@ownage:

That doesn't really make sense. Why would you yawn if you didn't need more oxygen? You inhale just as much as you exhale.

You breathe slower when you're idle, not yawn.

you breath in air, your body takes the oxygen from the air before you breath out :P

[buzzfizz]

Sounds logical to me, also.
I always thought it was to take in more oxygen when your body is in need of it.
Kind of like your brain saying that it needs more oxygen-rich blood cells or whatnot, so you yawn.

Wasn't that a theory at one time?

That was my theory. :\