Frequent yawning usually means tiredness or boredom. If it is constant, it could point to poor sleep or sleep apnea.
Why we yawn
No one knows for sure. Ideas include brain cooling, increasing alertness and social contagion.
When frequent
Yawning is common when tired, bored or after poor sleep.
Medical causes
- Sleep apnea and narcolepsy.
- Medicines (SSRIs).
- Anxiety.
- Rarely, vasovagal reaction, heart disease or brain problems.
What helps
Sleep 7 to 9 hours, keep a regular schedule, get fresh air and exercise.
See a doctor if
You yawn excessively, even after enough sleep, or have daytime sleepiness.
Fun fact
A yawn lasts about 6 seconds.
Contagious
Hearing or seeing a yawn can trigger one.
What yawning is
A yawn is a long, deep inhalation with the mouth wide open, followed by a shorter exhale. It lasts about 6 seconds on average. Humans begin yawning in the womb at around 11 weeks of gestation. Most vertebrates yawn, including fish, birds, reptiles, dogs and primates.
Why we yawn
The cause is not settled. Older theories said yawning draws in oxygen, but a 1987 experiment showed that breathing air with extra oxygen or carbon dioxide did not change how often people yawned. A newer theory from researchers at Princeton and the University of Albany, published in 2010, says yawns help cool the brain, since yawning triggers cooler air and blood flow. Studies show people yawn more in moderate temperature than in very hot or very cold weather. Yawning may also signal a shift in alertness, as it is common before sleep and on waking.
Why it is contagious
Seeing, hearing or reading about a yawn can trigger one in about 50% to 60% of adults. Contagious yawning appears around age 4 to 5 and is linked to empathy and social bonding. It is more common between close friends and family than strangers. Dogs also catch yawns from their owners, according to studies.
When frequent yawning is normal
- Lack of sleep, shift work or boredom.
- Long drives and warm rooms.
- Stress or anxiety.
- After exercise or before meals.
Medical causes of excessive yawning
- Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy or insomnia.
- Medicines, especially antidepressants like SSRIs, opioids and some antihistamines.
- Vasovagal responses, in which yawning appears with feeling faint.
- Rarely, conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, brain tumor, heart problems or liver failure, usually with other symptoms.
What helps
- Keep a regular sleep schedule of 7 to 9 hours for adults.
- Treat sleep apnea if you snore loudly or wake gasping.
- Get fresh air, exercise and light in the day.
- Drink water and cut back on late caffeine.
See a doctor if
You yawn many times an hour for no clear reason, you are always tired despite sleep, you have headache, vision change, weakness, chest pain or fainting.
Fun fact
Yawning in chimpanzees is also contagious. Fetal yawns show on ultrasound as early as the first trimester.
Research on yawning
A 2007 study at SUNY Albany by Gallup and Gallup suggested that yawning may cool the brain, since people yawned less when the air was hot or when they held a cold pack to the forehead. Yawns last about 6 seconds on average. Contagious yawning develops around age 4 to 5 and is linked to empathy, though evidence is mixed. Dogs and chimpanzees also yawn contagiously. Excessive yawning can occur with sleep deprivation, sleep apnea, multiple sclerosis, medications such as SSRIs, and rare vasovagal conditions. See a doctor if frequent yawning comes with daytime sleepiness, headaches or neurological symptoms.
Based on data from studies at SUNY Albany and the Mayo Clinic
