The 'brainy' side to yawning | Health - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

The 'brainy' side to yawning

IANS | By, New York
Jul 06, 2007 12:26 PM IST

Contradictory to the popular belief that yawning is a sign of tiredness, it actually helps keep the brain cool, says research.

Latest research shows that yawning helps in keeping the brain cool, contradicting the popular belief that yawning promotes sleep and is a sign of tiredness.

HT Image
HT Image

Yawning involves opening the mouth involuntarily while taking a long, deep breath of air. It is commonly believed that people yawn as a result of drowsiness or weariness because they need oxygen.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

However, researchers at the University of Albany in New York said their experiments on 44 students showed that drawing in air helps cool the brain and helps it work more effectively.

They said that their experiments showed that raising or lowering oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood did not produce that reaction.

Study participants were shown videos of people laughing, being neutral and yawning, and researchers counted how many times the volunteers responded to their own "contagious yawns," reported the online edition of BBC News.

The researchers found that those who breathed through the nose rather than the mouth were less likely to yawn when watching a video of other people yawning. This was because vessels in the nasal cavity sent cool blood to the brain.

The same effect was found among those who held a cool pack to their forehead, whereas those who held a warm or room-temperature pack yawned while watching the video.

"Since yawning occurs when brain temperature rises, sending cool blood to the brain serves to maintain optimal levels of mental efficiency," the authors wrote in the journal Evolutionary Psychology.

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On