What you read is correct. No one has a definitive answer, not even redditors.
The theory I’ve heard most often is that it’s just a social mimicry thing. I yawn to say “I’m tired, so it must be bedtime, so you should get tired too” then you yawn and we can all go to bed.
Just typing the word yawn so much has made me yawn a couple times…
I think the smart money says yawning evolved in our ancestor apes(they still do it) in large social groups as an outward sign that the yawner is tired or relaxed and not alert. The laws of the jungle are harsh. If everyone is asleep at the wheel the entire group is at risk or something like that.
> I feel like no matter what I read no one has a definitive answer.
That’s probably because no one has a definitive answer.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of things we just don’t understand fully. Yes, even something as common and seemingly simple as yawning.
We know we do it, we know other animals do it, we know the kinds of situations it usually happens in… but as for why? There are lots of theories, but so far researchers have not generally agreed that any one theory is better than the others.
As a side note, that’s basically how science works in general. All accepted scientific explanations, which are often taught as facts in school, are “theories that most scientists agree are the most convincing one we have so far.” New evidence can always overturn old theories (though the old theories are usually still “close enough to be useful” or “correct under specific circumstances”).
Yawning is like your brain saying, “Hey, I need a little more energy!” So your mouth opens up really big, you take a deep breath, and your body gets more oxygen to wake up.
But why do we yawn when other people do it?
A long time ago, people lived in groups to stay safe. If one person yawned, it might’ve meant they were tired or not paying attention—so others would yawn too, like a group wake-up call. It helped everyone stay alert together, just in case there was danger nearby!
So it’s kind of like a “let’s all be ready!” signal your body still remembers, even though we don’t live in caves anymore.
Typically, yawning occurs when you’re not breathing deeply, and there is drop in oxygen in your bloodstream. The yawn is an action that produces a deep inhalation, bringing a burst of oxygen to lower parts of your lungs.
As for why we yawn when others do, it’s a social response. You subconsciously recognize that someone else is in need of a deep inhalation, and your body says “I’ll have what they’re having”.
There is some conjecture that people with personality disorders like sociopathy won’t reflexively yawn when they see others do it.
Comments
What you read is correct. No one has a definitive answer, not even redditors.
The theory I’ve heard most often is that it’s just a social mimicry thing. I yawn to say “I’m tired, so it must be bedtime, so you should get tired too” then you yawn and we can all go to bed.
Just typing the word yawn so much has made me yawn a couple times…
I think the smart money says yawning evolved in our ancestor apes(they still do it) in large social groups as an outward sign that the yawner is tired or relaxed and not alert. The laws of the jungle are harsh. If everyone is asleep at the wheel the entire group is at risk or something like that.
> I feel like no matter what I read no one has a definitive answer.
That’s probably because no one has a definitive answer.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of things we just don’t understand fully. Yes, even something as common and seemingly simple as yawning.
We know we do it, we know other animals do it, we know the kinds of situations it usually happens in… but as for why? There are lots of theories, but so far researchers have not generally agreed that any one theory is better than the others.
As a side note, that’s basically how science works in general. All accepted scientific explanations, which are often taught as facts in school, are “theories that most scientists agree are the most convincing one we have so far.” New evidence can always overturn old theories (though the old theories are usually still “close enough to be useful” or “correct under specific circumstances”).
ChatGPT:
Why do we yawn?
Yawning is like your brain saying, “Hey, I need a little more energy!” So your mouth opens up really big, you take a deep breath, and your body gets more oxygen to wake up.
But why do we yawn when other people do it?
A long time ago, people lived in groups to stay safe. If one person yawned, it might’ve meant they were tired or not paying attention—so others would yawn too, like a group wake-up call. It helped everyone stay alert together, just in case there was danger nearby!
So it’s kind of like a “let’s all be ready!” signal your body still remembers, even though we don’t live in caves anymore.
Typically, yawning occurs when you’re not breathing deeply, and there is drop in oxygen in your bloodstream. The yawn is an action that produces a deep inhalation, bringing a burst of oxygen to lower parts of your lungs.
As for why we yawn when others do, it’s a social response. You subconsciously recognize that someone else is in need of a deep inhalation, and your body says “I’ll have what they’re having”.
There is some conjecture that people with personality disorders like sociopathy won’t reflexively yawn when they see others do it.
Or why we yawn after reading the word “yawn?”
Try searching first. This has already been reposted thousands of times