Why do you constantly yawn and want to sleep. Why does a person often yawn: reasons

Constant yawning and lack of air, which occurs regardless of the desire to sleep or stuffiness in the room, a frequent symptom that occurs with vegetative dystonia. Some patients imagine that similar symptoms may occur as a result dangerous diseases, from which they begin to worry and get nervous, thereby, aggravating their own state.

A feeling of lack of oxygen is the most common symptom affecting a person with dystonia in the event of a stressful situation or an approaching panic attack.

The mechanism for the development of yawning with VSD looks like this:

  • initially a stressful situation arises;
  • the brain automatically changes breathing characteristics: the depth and rhythm of inhalation and exhalation;
  • a person begins to breathe shallowly, trying to make more movements, and, after exhaling, immediately inhaling;
  • shallow breathing causes oxygen deficiency in the tissues;
  • the limbs of a person grow cold;
  • the body goes into an economical mode of functioning;
  • the person begins to yawn often.

In such a situation, the lungs are overflowing with oxygen, which causes the disappearance of carbon dioxide from them. If the proportions of these elements in the lungs are violated, an attack of suffocation develops. Such a condition causes a person to have a serious fear for his own life, which makes him breathe even more often, forming a vicious circle.

When the amount of carbon dioxide reaches critical levels, a person can lose consciousness. The body, however, is experiencing the following:

  • decreased vascular tone;
  • the inability of the heart to supply the human body with oxygen in a quality manner;
  • ischemic organ damage.

This situation causes an irresistible urge to yawn, which allows you to saturate with oxygen. When a person yawns slowly, his respiratory functions return to proper functioning, oxygen begins to flow into the lungs again, and a balance arises between it and carbon dioxide.

Respiratory dystonia

Almost every person with dystonia sooner or later feels a lack of oxygen in the body, causing the desire to speed up the process of inhalation and exhalation or to yawn as wide as possible. Some people do not attach any importance to this symptom, while others simply fixate on similar respiratory manifestations.

Symptoms of dystonia occurring with respiratory pathologies are usually called respiratory syndrome.

Despite the fears of the riders, such a syndrome is not capable of causing a person's death. The maximum harm that he can cause is loss of consciousness, which can only reinforce the patient's negative attitude towards yawning.

Why do people with dystonia worry so much about breathing problems? Suspiciousness and increased anxiety make them assume that they have dangerous diseases, among which are asthma, lung cancer or diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The more a person worries about yawning and asthma attacks, the more often they occur and the harder they pass. In order to overcome the problem, one should learn that its roots lie not in somatic pathologies, but in emotional experiences.

Pathologies of the heart and vascular network

The worries of the riders have some basis under them, because the cause of respiratory failure may well be pathologies of the system of the heart and blood vessels, especially in terms of its pumping functions.

When a person breathes in, a fleeting sensation of lack of oxygen may appear and immediately disappear, which is a sign of a pre-crisis state characteristic of arterial hypertension or cardiac arrhythmias. Such a pathology is always accompanied by a cough that occurs for no particular reason.

Lack of air, accompanied by incessant yawning, can be caused by diseases of the heart system. This pathology is characterized by constantly changing blood pressure, which can both rise and fall and a violation of the heart rhythm.

Signs of problems with the heart and blood vessels:

  • regular feeling of lack of oxygen;
  • increased reaction at night;
  • increased shortness of breath during active physical activity.

The main symptom of heart failure is the appearance of a feeling of lack of air during inhalation, when wheezing is heard in the lungs and an abundant production of phlegm occurs. For such a state to pass, a person is forced to take a comfortable body position. Symptoms of heart failure are relieved by taking Nitroglycerin tablets.

Thromboembolism, manifested in the formation of blood clots inside the vessels located in the pulmonary arterial trunk, can act as a provocateur of frequent yawning and feelings of lack of air. Such symptoms can act as the initial signs of the development of this dangerous disease.

A similar pathology lies in the fact that a blood clot can move from its location and float through the vessel until it enters its narrow part and completely blocks the lumen. This situation leads to the development of a lung infarction.

The causes of the problem have a number of additional symptoms:

  • acute respiratory failure develops;
  • a strong cough appears;
  • sputum, which contains blood, is separated;
  • the skin becomes bluish.

The development of thromboembolism is fast enough, affecting the entire body:

  • the tone of the vessels of each organ decreases, including the lungs, heart and brain;
  • due to insufficient oxygen supply, there are disturbances in the work of the cardiovascular system;
  • the volume of blood necessary for their full work does not enter the lungs;
  • in the reverse movement, blood flows from the heart into the lungs, with a minimum oxygen content, preventing it from functioning properly.

This situation leads to an acceleration of the heart rate, with the help of which the heart seeks to increase performance. blood pressure... The consequence of these processes is incessant yawning. Thus, the autonomic part of the nervous system tries to regulate the respiratory processes in order to introduce the required amount of oxygen into the body and correct its deficiency. All this work is aimed at achieving one goal: preventing the development of ischemia in body tissues.

VSD

Yawning with VSD occurs as a reaction of the body to stressful situations, fright or fatigue, when it tries to normalize respiratory processes and prevent oxygen starvation in body tissues. In order for the muscles to receive as many nutrients as possible, a person begins to inhale air more actively, which is why the lungs are oversaturated with oxygen, receiving much more than necessary.

Vascular dystonia, which causes shortness of breath and shortness of breath, provokes the appearance of unpleasant sensations in a person, which frighten him and greatly aggravate him and so, in general, negative symptoms.

Yawning, which occurs very often, the feeling that there is not enough air - all this causes the development of such manifestations on the part of the body as:

  • sleep disturbance;
  • increased anxiety;
  • development of fatigue;
  • trembling limbs;
  • increased sweat separation;
  • the appearance of panic attacks.

Asphyxiation with VSD, during which a person seeks to inhale as much oxygen as possible, leads to the fact that the level of carbon dioxide in the body decreases. For this reason, the vascular walls come into hypertonicity, which, in turn, entails muscle tension and narrowing of the vessels that penetrate the brain. These signs are characteristic of the condition of a person with vascular dystonia.

Yawning and choking can become an attack of VSD, if the person is not distracted, does not pull himself together and relax.

Such processes should be stopped in a timely manner in order to prevent the development of hyperventilation syndrome, which threatens the occurrence of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, heart, blood vessels and lungs.

Respiratory diseases

Respiratory function, which is impaired in some people, can be not only a sign of VSD, but also the cause of other somatic pathologies:

  • bronchial asthma;
  • neoplasms of a malignant or benign nature, localized in the lungs;
  • bronchiectasis;
  • infectious lesions of the respiratory system;
  • edema of the lungs.

In addition to respiratory problems, feelings of lack of oxygen and constant yawning can be signs of rheumatism, overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Should yawning be treated

Many riders who suffer from incessant yawning do not leave the feeling of fear that these manifestations are a sign of a fatal disease, and they urgently need to see a doctor.

In fact, in most cases, there are no reasons for referring to a specialist (if the presence of other pathologies is excluded). The only thing that the doctor can recommend is to change your own lifestyle, changing it to a physically active one and adjust your sleep and work routine. All this will help teach the body to breathe correctly.

The basis for the therapy of such a condition is the fight against stress and depression, which is often present in people with VSD. Only a calm person, not worried about trifles, adequately assessing their own health, can get rid of frequent yawning and live a full life.

The appearance of moles, redness of the eyes, frequent yawning - these and other "little things" can cause serious illnesses. Therefore, having noticed that the body "jumps a little", do not expect that everything will go away by itself. After all, in such a visual way, your body informs you about the danger. And you, in turn, must inform the doctor about it!

Any ailment at an early stage is easier and cheaper to treat. That is why it is so important to know dangerous symptomsin order to timely take adequate measures to eliminate them.

Frequent yawning during the day

You get enough sleep and get enough sleep, but you suddenly bothers with frequent yawning? Scientists have found that this physiological process helps reduce nervousness and mobilize the body.

It is for this reason for yawning often overpowers parachutists before jumping, athletes before the start, musicians before a concert ... Perhaps you have an exam, a public performance or some other serious test? Involuntary yawningincreases the body's readiness to act in critical situations.

Other theories hold that yawning is a complex process of regulating the temperature of the brain. Yawning allows blood and colder air to flow to improve brain function. It usually accompanies fatigue, drowsiness, boredom, a depressed, dull state. If the mood is vigorous, joyful, elated, you don't want to yawn.

To stop frequent yawning, as a rule, it is enough to change your posture, straighten up and straighten your shoulders, take a few deep breaths and sharp exhalations, if possible, walk or do a few simple physical exercises.

If you often yawn, you should see a doctor. When?

Unstoppable constant yawnmay be a symptom of some painful conditions requiring medical care. Frequent yawning, combined with excessive weakness and drowsiness, can indicate hormonal changes, chronic fatigue syndrome or burnout syndrome.

Yawning attacks are observed with migraines, violation of cerebral circulation, vegetative-vascular dystonia, multiple sclerosis, in a pre-fainting state. To find out causes of excessive yawning it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Periodically disturbed by interruptions in the work of the heart

Such violations do not always indicate a serious problem. Very often, people who experience arrhythmias do not suffer from severe heart disease.

Heart rhythm disturbances can be caused by a lack of sleep, certain medications, a reaction to stress, or physical activity, smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages. However, there are those in which dangerous symptoms appear, sometimes even life-threatening.

When to see a doctor for heart failure

If cardiac arrhythmias occur frequently or are accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, darkening of the eyes, a full examination should be carried out to clarify the cause of the occurrence arrhythmias. Arrhythmia can be a symptom of heart failure, thyroid diseases, various poisoning.

The main method for diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias is the electrocardiogram (ECG), exercise ECG, and daily ECG monitoring.

Eyes often turn red

Increased physical and visual stress, changes in blood pressure, visits to saunas and baths, hypovitaminosis, food poisoning can provoke hemorrhages. Often blood vessels the eyes are greatly dilated and even burst in lens wearers.

When to see a doctor for red eyes

If the blood vessels in the eyes often dilate and rupture, this may indicate a problem.

Many people think that yawning occurs only when tired and not getting enough sleep. Although in fact, this symptom can indicate certain health problems, so you should not ignore it. If you sleep 7-8 hours a day and continue to yawn every day, we advise you to pay attention to the symptom and figure out what is its cause.

Why you often yawn: the main reasons

All people yawn, and not only people. Most vertebrates do this. Doctors believe it is good for your health. But is it? When you start yawning, circulation to the neck, face and head area improves. When you do this, you take a deep breath, which increases blood circulation in the brain. Together, these processes help eliminate too hot blood from the brain by injecting colder blood from the lungs and limbs.

Some scientists believe that changes in room temperature can cause yawning. Also, throat can be triggered by boredom, lack of vivid emotions. Thus, the doctors were divided into 2 camps. Representatives of one camp believe that pharynx has a physiological cause, representatives of the second - a psychological one.

Why does a person often yawn? There is nothing wrong with yawning when you have not got enough sleep or are tired. But if you continue to do this constantly and for a long time, do not ignore this symptom. After all, it is quite possible that you have health problems.

What can cause frequent yawning:

You didn't get enough sleep ... Are you getting enough sleep? You may be sleeping too little and your body is unable to recover in time. Try to sleep 7-8 hours a day, go to bed as early as possible.

Fatigue. If you are tired at work or school, in training, your body needs more time to recover. You need to rest, this is the only way to get rid of yawning.

Changes in room temperature, high air temperature.

Stress. Try to be as little nervous as possible and take sedatives as needed.

You may be interested in our publication How to fall asleep quickly if you don't want to sleep at all: ways

The body needs oxygen. Weakness, yawning, and poor health can signal a lack of oxygen in the blood. Walk for 30-40 minutes in the fresh air every day, ventilate the room in which you work or live more often.

Sudden changes in atmospheric pressure.

Specularity. What it is? Surely you noticed that you start yawning as soon as you see a yawning person, right? This is a normal reaction of the human body.

Deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Another common reason is that your body is not getting enough nutrients. We advise you to take vitamin complex, it would also not hurt to pass the necessary tests.

Reception drugs. Some medications can make you drowsy, such as allergy medications, hormones, antidepressants, and some pain relievers.

Vasovagal reaction - occurs due to internal bleeding in the heart or aorta. Frequent yawning and worsening general condition may not indicate a heart attack or a damaged aorta. Thus, excessive yawning for no reason can indicate heart problems.

Liver damage. Some doctors believe that excessive yawning may be a symptom of liver failure. If you have had liver problems, be sure to get tested.

Epilepsy - in some cases, yawning can be a signal of the development of this disease, but this is not common.

Stroke - in this case, the brain begins to send out abnormal signals, as a result, you often yawn. A stroke causes damage to the brain, which leads to yawning.

Multiple sclerosis. According to research, patients suffering from multiple sclerosis often yawn. This is due to the fact that their body is prone to thermoregulatory dysfunction, which provokes yawning.

In some cases, frequent yawning over several days or even weeks may indicate problems with functioning. thyroid gland, of cardio-vascular system... Do not self-medicate, be sure to consult your doctor.

Why are my eyes watery?

Some people cry when yawning. Why is this happening? Your eyes begin to close, resulting in pressure on your lacrimal sacs, causing tears to flow from them.


Frequent yawning: when to sound the alarm?

If you begin to notice that you often yawn, try to get enough sleep and be outdoors more often, take a vitamin and mineral complex. If the situation has not improved and you continue to yawn daily for a long time, be sure to consult a specialist.

Such a simple reflex as yawning has not yet been fully explained by scientists. However, there are many speculations about why a person yawns. Moreover, this process is often the first signal of the presence or development of various internal diseases, exacerbations and relapses of chronic pathologies.

Why do you want to yawn?

The main guesses are as follows.

This is the phase in which the so-called migraine headlines appear. He warns that the next step is headache. This can last from several hours to several days. Prodromal symptoms vary from patient to patient, and this is the case. the most common.

"Food" - we have a terrible desire for concrete, often in migraines that are not recommended, for example, chocolate, or vice versa - loss of appetite. ~ tiredness, tiredness, tired feeling, often. yawning, sleepiness, or vice versa - energy consumption increased. activity, euphoria.

Calming effect

It is noticed that often people yawn on the eve of any exciting events: competitions, exams, performances. In this way, the body adjusts itself to a favorable result.

Restoring the balance of carbon dioxide

It is believed that during yawning, the supply of oxygen is replenished in the blood, but experiments have shown that even with its deficiency, the frequency of the reflex in question does not increase.

Mood changes - may be feeling cholera. or depression, irritability, anger, anger, etc. ~ Concentration disorders, difficulty articulating the mind. memory impairment. ~ hypersensitivity to light, smell, sound, touch, taste.

The aura is called various disorders, hallucinations. They are mostly visual, but they can also be olfactory. other. Visual disturbances are most common: ~ flashes, zigzags, waves in the field of view - bright or dark spotsmoving or stationary in the field of view. Partial or complete loss of vision in one or both eyes. ~ hallucinations, such as waving objects in reality. Blurry, blurry image.

Regulation of pressure in the middle ear

During a yawn, straighten eustachian tubes and channels maxillary sinusesthat relieves short-term ear congestion.

Awakening the body

Yawning in the morning invigorates, promotes oxygenation of the blood, helps to wake up, and improves blood circulation. The same factors provoke yawning when tired and tired.

Aroma disorders: ~ the smell of cigarettes that do not contain cigarette smoke... nobody smoked. Hearing impairment: noise, ringing in the ears, hearing sounds that really are. we have no music at the moment, car noise, conversation. Most often on the side of the spinal paralysis, usually the claws covering the face and tongue or only. certain parts of the body - difficulty in formulating words and their pronunciation. ~ Difficulty understanding what we are talking about. ~ Increased sensitivity to the sensation of touch. ~ hearing loss or complete loss. "Locomotive" disorders such as dropping objects, difficulty walking, immobility ~ violation of the sense of time.

Keeping active

It has been noticed more than once that the described reflex occurs when a person is bored. Long-term muscular passivity and mental overload leads to the fact that people tend to sleep. Yawning helps to get rid of this sensation, as in the process the muscles of the neck, face, and mouth are tense.

Regulation of brain temperature

Aura migraine occurs in about 20% of all migraines. The most common is migraine without aura - 70%. The rest are different shapessuch as migraine without headache, migraine. abdominal and others. The bolt phase, as the name suggests, is where we begin. feel pain until it is relieved. The pain is most often in the head. In rare cases, the pin may not be in abdominal cavity or, for example, in the ear and ear. Again, the most common pain is in the head and precisely in the temple area, usually on one side.

Other types of pain can be: eye irritation, at the tip of the head. in the vicinity of the occipital region, in the sinuses, on the sides or throughout the head. At the moment, the pain starts to get worse and finally stops. ~ pain in the region of the head, neck, neck ~ feeling that we have bruises on the head. depression, decreased concentration, mental "stupid" ~ decreased ability to feel ~ anxiety ~ or vice versa, energy flow, joy of life, euphoria.

There is an assumption that when the body overheats, it is necessary to cool the brain tissue by enriching the blood with air. The yawning process contributes to this mechanism.

Relaxation

The reflex in question is also universal, because in the morning it helps to cheer up, and before bed - to relax. Yawning prepares a person for restful sleep, relieves stress.

The postdromatic phase, such as the prodromal, can last from several. from several hours to several days. Be careful at this stage because sometimes it's too fast. Taking or increasing activity may cause a second headache.

As you can see from the above, migraine has many different symptoms. Some may repeat in different phases. Not every migraine experiences them all or like others. In each phase of a migraine, there may be other symptoms that may occur. not mentioned here.

Is excessive narcolepsy felt during the daytime? What are the symptoms and causes of narcolepsy? Sleeping on a date or having a conversation with your boss seems unlikely, but it is possible. The day after an unhappy or bad dream, each of us is faced with a dream. We have a hard time waking up and yawning early in the morning. But there are those who struggle with sleepiness throughout their lives. Although they get out of bed, full of energy, rested, they cut off their naps. What Causes Drowsiness?

Why does a person yawn very often and a lot?

If this phenomenon occurs infrequently, it is possible that you are simply overtired, stressed and worried, or do not get enough sleep. But periodic repetition should cause concern and be a reason for a visit to the doctor.

Here's why you always want to yawn:

  • vegetative-vascular dystonia;
  • hormonal imbalance;
  • multiple sclerosis;
  • light-headedness;
  • disorders of cerebral circulation;
  • burnout syndrome.

As you can see, the causes of frequent yawning are quite serious and this reflex can indicate a number of serious diseases. Therefore, if you noticed a recurrence of such a phenomenon, do not postpone your visit to the therapist and be sure to go through the examination.

Daytime sleepiness can be caused by insomnia, fatigue, too little sunlight during the November or December days, or low blood pressure. It is also a symptom of a disease such as hypothyroidism. But we can control this sleepiness. We might take a nap during a boring meeting, lecture, or movie, but not on a date, discussing a new project, or talking to a boss. And those with narcolepsy do happen. If they have a mild form of the disease, it remains unrecognized, and the environment is considered sleep, indulgence, irresponsible people.

Why does a person yawn when another yawned?

Probably everyone noticed how contagious yawning is. As a rule, if someone yawned nearby, those around them sooner or later also succumb to this reflex.

In the course of interesting medical experiments and psychological studies, scientists still found out why people yawn one after another. To do this, the subjects were connected to a special apparatus that reflects the activity of various brain zones in the color spectrum. It turns out that during the described process, the area of \u200b\u200bthe brain that is responsible for empathy and empathy is activated. Thus, we can conclude that a person who yawns when someone else yawns next to him is a delicate and vulnerable, responsive person. This statement confirms the fact that people with autistic syndrome are not susceptible to this condition.

What are the causes of narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder. It can affect us at every stage of life, but its symptoms most often appear in the second decade of life, that is, when we study, we start a career. It is caused by a deficiency in hypocretin, a protein that plays an important role in regulating the daily sleep-wake cycle. The reduction in the production of this protein is due to damage to the hypothalamus, a part of the brain, which is likely due to an abnormal immune response.

Common symptoms of narcolepsy

It depends on the degree of damage to the cells that produce hypocretin. The first and sometimes the only symptom of narcolepsy is sleepiness during the day, but it is special. A person with narcolepsy falls asleep in a very short time and also in situations where we are active. Can sleep in standby mode, while talking, on a bike, at a gala dinner. Sleepiness occurs approximately 1.5 hours after waking up and disappears after a short nap. Unfortunately, he comes back after a while.

Have you ever wondered why it happens that you often yawn a lot? This article is an attempt to explain what's going on and give you an idea of \u200b\u200bwhere the frequent yawning comes from. Curiously, frequent yawning is our body's involuntary response to fatigue as well as boredom. When you yawn, your mouth opens wide and your lungs fill with air. The yawning can be short or long, sometimes tears appear along with yawning, and sometimes a runny nose. Yawning is okay, but it happens that a person yawns too often. Below you will find an explanation of the reasons for frequent yawning.

The other three symptoms of narcolepsy are less common: cataplexy, sleep hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. In mild narcolepsy, only the facial muscles are thirsty. When severely damaged, the hypothalamus softens to the ground. Sleep hallucinations are another symptom. Immediately into the world are very realistic dreams of dreams, and that they are not completely sleepy, treat them like a dream. Sleeping hallucinations are unpleasant and disturbing.

Physiological causes of frequent yawning

Physiological causes of frequent yawning include:

  • tiredness or drowsiness;
  • changes related to sleep patterns: change of work schedule, lack of sleep, travel associated with the crossing of several time zones;
  • a disorder such as narcolepsy, which can lead to daytime sleepiness
  • sleep apnea - a disorder that restricts breathing for short periods of time;
  • side effects from taking drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are used to treat depression and anxiety;
  • problems with the functioning of the vagus nerve, which can be caused by bleeding in or around the aorta, and in severe cases, due to a heart attack.

In some cases, frequent or excessive yawning can be an indicator of:

Maybe he doesn't know about narcolepsy. Is it the middle of the day, and you most want to go to bed and sleep?

The last symptom is paralysis, which lasts several, several seconds, which occurs when falling asleep or waking up. Capalexia and sleep hallucinations are treated with antidepressants, while sleepiness is a stimulant that prevents snoring during the day. Thanks to them, patients remain active throughout the day. The milder form of narcolepsy is often unrecognized and therefore not treated. Perhaps we should be more tolerant of people who fall asleep at the table during the day, take a short nap during lunchtime, or immediately after returning from work.

  • epilepsy;
  • a stroke or brain tumor;
  • liver failure;
  • cardiovascular disease;
  • chronic venous insufficiency;
  • electrolyte imbalance;
  • an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's thyroiditis (leading to hypothyroidism and low level thyroid hormones);
  • hypothyroidism;
  • multiple sclerosis.

Psychological and emotional causes of excessive yawning

Excessive yawning can be caused by emotional or psychological reasons. These include:

  • stress,
  • depression,
  • anxiety.

Yawning can occur when a person experiences anxiety or anxiety attacks. Typically, during these episodes, the body requires hyperventilation of the lungs, which causes bouts of yawning. Hyperventilation makes you feel as if there is not enough air to breathe, in response the body sends a command to the brain what needs to be done in order to get more oxygen, so involuntary excessive yawning occurs. Through this process, the brain tries to saturate the lungs with oxygen.

Serious and life-threatening causes of excessive yawning

Excessive yawning can sometimes be a sign that a person's condition is life threatening. Such symptoms should be equated with emergency... This happens with a sudden deterioration in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as in chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

What to do to control yawning

Here are some tips on what to do to control yawning and avoid excessive yawning.

Get enough sleep

The advice is pretty obvious. However, when a person gets enough sleep, they can rest better and therefore can control yawning. If you do not get enough sleep, you will yawn, because you will not be able to overcome sleepiness.

Try to control yawning like this:

  • inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth;
  • when you realize that you are about to yawn, try a cool or chilled drink (if you have one at hand);
  • eat vegetables with a high water content, such as cucumbers or watermelons, if you want to avoid excessive yawning.
  • if you have the urge to yawn, go to a cool place or thoroughly ventilate the room to lower the temperature and add oxygen to the room;
  • if you have an important meeting ahead of you, during which you should never yawn, put a wet compress on your head for a few minutes before going to such a meeting. This measure will prevent yawning until you finish your negotiations.

How to treat excessive yawning

If medications such as SSRIs are found to be causing your frequent yawning, your doctor may prescribe lower doses for you. Research shows that lowering the dosage can eliminate excessive yawning, but retain the desired effects of these drugs. In any case, the doctor must decide.

If you have a sleep disorder that has resulted in excessive yawning, your doctor may advise you on what medications to take to improve your sleep and what methods to use to help you sleep better. One example of such diseases that cause excessive yawning is sleep apnea, which is associated with constant pressure in the airways. This means that it will be necessary to normalize breathing and make sure that the airways are open.

If you have other conditions that cause frequent yawning, such as tumors, renal failure, liver or heart problems, stroke, you should see your doctor immediately.

When to see your doctor for frequent yawning

It makes sense to consult a doctor with a complaint of frequent yawning if:

  • there is no explanation as to why you often yawn,
  • your frequent yawning is associated with daytime sleepiness.

Article author : Christina Sumarokova, "Moscow Medicine" ©
Denial of responsibility : The information provided in this article on why you often yawn is for guidance only. However, it cannot be a substitute for consulting a professional doctor.

Each of us on personal experience familiar with yawning. But few people understand what this process is, what function it performs in the body and whether yawning is as safe as many believe. In this article, we will take a closer look at why people yawn, and also consider many other questions regarding such a common and familiar phenomenon.

What is yawning

The first step is to understand what yawning really is. Many believe they can control this process. In fact, this is a reflexive breathing act, which is characterized by a deep long inhalation and short exhalation, often accompanied by a characteristic sound.

At first glance, it seems that there is nothing special about yawning, and the problem is not worth considering. However, in 2010, the International Medical Congress was held in France, the theme of which was precisely yawning. The luminaries of medical science in many countries shared their views on why a person constantly yawns, why this process is necessary for the body, and when this reflex act becomes a symptom of a disease.

To date, there are no exact, verified and confirmed answers to the questions posed, but certain assumptions still exist. We will talk about them in detail below.

When people yawn and why is it needed

There are several hypotheses about why people yawn and how this process affects the health of the body. Let's take a closer look at them.

  1. The most common opinion in medical circles about why people yawn is the problem of lack of oxygen in the brain tissues. It is reliably known that during a deep breath, a multiply increased volume of oxygen enters the bloodstream, in contrast to normal breathing. In addition, during a yawn, the airways open wide: the pharynx, the glottis, the volume of the nasopharynx and pharynx increases. As you know, when the body is saturated with oxygen, blood flow and metabolism are accelerated. This, in turn, leads to an improvement in a person's well-being, tone. Therefore, in various situations, when the oxygen balance is disturbed, stagnant phenomena of blood flow occur, a person experiences yawning. So, after sleep, long monotonous work, a person yawns. Such a breathing act helps to cheer up, tone the body.
  2. Another version of the cause of yawning is believed to be the body's need for brain cooling. This hypothesis is closely related to the previous one, since its essence lies in the same saturation of the brain with a large volume of oxygen.
  3. Why does a person often yawn during a flight? This is how the body regulates the pressure in the middle ear. This happens due to the fact that the channels that connect the pharynx and the Eustachian tubes are straightened.
  4. Also, yawning is necessary to relieve muscle tightness. Often the breathing act is accompanied by stretching of the body. So the body is invigorated and tuned in to productive activity. It will be interesting for the fair sex to know the fact that during yawning, facial muscles are massaged, tightening them and improving skin turgor.
  5. Why does a person often yawn? The cause may be a serious illness. Let's take a closer look at this issue and offer a list of health problems that can cause frequent yawning below.
  6. Among other things, such a reflex breathing act tends to calm and relax the body. This is why people yawn before bed or during an exciting event, such as before an exam, competition, or important meeting.

Why do children yawn

Yawning in children is considered an indicator of normal lung development. It is a reliable fact that children yawn even before they are born. Such a breathing act can be observed using ultrasound examination in a fetus at 11-12 weeks of gestation. But, if yawning often helps an adult to cheer up, then such a process extremely calms the child, becomes a harbinger of sleep.

If the parents notice that the baby yawns too often, you need to pay attention to this. Perhaps the baby does not have enough oxygen and there is a need to increase the duration of walks in the fresh air. Frequent yawning in children can also indicate problems with the nervous system. In this case, an examination by a neurologist will be required.

Why do people yawn in church

You came to church for spiritual peace, when suddenly a yawn begins to overwhelm you. You become uncomfortable in front of others and have to leave the temple. Why does a person yawn in church? We hasten to reassure you - this situation happens quite often and does not depend on the age, health status of the parishioner. It is not difficult to explain this phenomenon knowing the mechanism of yawning. In the church, several reasons appear at the same time for such a respiratory process: a stuffy room, dim light, monotonous prayer. All these factors contribute to the inhibition of various body processes, including blood flow. Therefore, there is a lack of oxygen, which contributes to the involuntary reflex act.

Why yawn while talking

You are talking to a person, and he suddenly starts to yawn? Do not rush to accuse the interlocutor of ingratitude and indifference, and yourself - in the absence of oratorical abilities and emotionality. The situation is exactly the opposite. The yawning overpowered the listener precisely because of the increased brain activity. The opponent listened to your story attentively, so his oxygen metabolism was disrupted, and in order to replenish strength and continue the active work of the brain, the body was saturated with oxygen with the help of a yawn. Now you can safely continue your story.

In the same way, one can explain why a person yawns when talking - overstraining helps to reduce the volume of oxygen in the bloodstream, and yawning as a protective mechanism replenishes the spent energy reserve.

Is yawning contagious

It has been noticed that yawning is “contagious” - as soon as one person yawns, others also begin to reflexively repeat. Why do people yawn, even when they just watch a video of a yawning person or read an article about yawning? The answer lies in the cerebral cortex. Are you yawning now? It is your mirror neurons, which are located in the cerebral cortex, at work. They are responsible for empathy and cause contagious yawning on an emotional level. It has been noted that categories of people who have less developed parts of the brain responsible for feelings are not prone to contagious yawning. These people include children under 5 years old (although there are exceptions), autistic people and those with schizophrenia.

Signs and superstitions

There are such beliefs among the people about yawning:

  1. They cover their mouth with their hand during a yawn so that the devil does not fly into the soul.
  2. Residents of Turkey believe that if you do not have time to cover your mouth during a yawn, a soul can fly out of a person.
  3. The Indians believe that yawning is a call for death or the devil, and in order to scare off an unclean one, you need to snap your fingers.
  4. In our open spaces, folk healers claim that the evil eye comes out in the process of yawning. And if a person yawns while talking with another, the soul is protected from unfavorable energy.

When yawning becomes a dangerous symptom

Why does a person yawn very often? Frequent yawning is a signal from the body that it lacks oxygen. In this case, ventilate the room, or better organize a walk in the fresh air.

Frequent yawning may indicate overwork. Set aside time for rest and good sleep, alternate vigorous activity with breaks for relaxation. Why a person yawns, we found out, but how to deal with such a process when he takes us by surprise at the most inopportune moment, for example, during a business meeting or a date with a loved one? How to cope with a reflex act and, as they say, not hit your face in the dirt in front of others? There are some powerful tips:

  1. Fresh air will saturate the body with oxygen, and the body's need for yawning will disappear.
  2. Daily morning jogging or other active sports can help minimize the possibility of yawning during the day.
  3. Don't forget about proper rest and sleep.
  4. While working at the computer, sit upright - this way the diaphragm is not squeezed, and the air saturated with oxygen is supplied in the required volume.
  5. Learn proper deep breathing.
  6. Drinking cold drinks or eating food will stop yawning.
  7. Express method to suppress the reflex - as soon as you feel the urge to yawn, lick your lips.
  8. Taking a deep breath through the nose and a short breath through the mouth also helps to contain the yawn.

So, we found out why a person yawns. It turns out that such an uncomplicated process has important functions in the work of the whole organism. Therefore, you should not take it lightly. With prolonged and frequent yawning, be sure to undergo a heart and blood vessel examination under the supervision of a doctor.

Loading ...Loading ...