• Question: why do we yawn?

    Asked by to Jane, Iain on 18 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Jane Charlesworth

      Jane Charlesworth answered on 18 Mar 2014:

      I really don’t know. I’ve heard varying ideas about why we yawn–one of them is that it helps us take in more oxygen (did you know that people don’t just yawn when they’re tired, but athletes are recommended to yawn before competing?). Another is that breathing in cold air cools our brains (!!).

      Reading your question made me want to yawn though-apparently even reading the word “yawn” can trigger one.

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