Why Do We Yawn When We Are Tired?

We yawn when we're tired because our brain wants to wake us up. When you feel sleepy, your brain sends a signal through your body telling it to take a deep breath, and that’s a yawn! Yawning also helps people around you feel like they want to yawn too, which is why it's contagious.

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Examples

When you're stuck in a long car ride, someone behind you yawns, and soon everyone starts yawning too.
You see your teacher doze off during class, the next thing you know, you’re yawning as well.
After a big lunch, you sit down and let out a huge yawn before going back to work.

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Categories: Psychology · yawning,sleep,contagious behavior,neuroscience