Why Do People Yawn When They're Tired?

Yawning is like a big stretch for your brain. When you're tired, your brain needs more oxygen to stay awake. Yawning helps by letting in fresh air and sending out old, sleepy air. It's kind of like giving your brain a little wake-up call!

Why it spreads Yawning can be contagious because seeing someone yawn reminds your brain that other [people](/search?q=people) are also tired, so you might feel the need to yawn too!

Take the quiz →

Examples

Your teacher yawns after lunch, and suddenly everyone in class starts yawning too.
You're waiting for your friend at the park, and when they see you, they yawn, you can't help but yawn back!
After a long day of school, you yawn so hard it wakes up your little brother.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Health · yawning,brain function,neurology