Yawning has 4 major benefits!

"Keep talking - I yawn when I am interested..."

Yawning has always been branded as being related to tiredness and lack of sleep.

"He who gets up early, yawns throughout the day!"

Adages such as this one strengthen the popular belief that yawning indicates lack of sleep, sub-optimal condition of the body and possible threat to brain performance. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

As I watched Hippos yawn and yawn and yawn in the morning, around 9 AM near the famous hippo haunt of Mankwe reservoir at Pilanesberg, I started thinking - yawning can not be all that bad if these hippos do it so often. It is obviously not possible that all of them are tired, sick or sleepless!

I snapped this funny picture with my Canon SX50HS camera and vowed to research the subject of yawning.

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Sine I have stepped back from the busy life of an active job, I find time these days to research such quirky and abstract things such as benefits of yawning. I read couple of books and even tried to talk to couple of doctors. However, the doctors just yawned and shooed me away!

Therefore, this wisdom I bring to you may be a bit bookish (without practical base) and may make you yawn! So, attempt to read further at your own peril.

Benefits of yawning !

Though yawning is frowned upon in the social setting, being taken as indicative of boredom, you may be better off actually yawning due to the following 4 major benefits, based on recent research carried out, as mentioned in this article.

Benefit 1: In induces empathy in your brain - could be a sign of love!

Yawning is contagious as we all know but very few of us know that seeing a loved one yawn opens up a special area in our brains and makes us yawn. Empathetic relationship gets enhanced.

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Please note that you should not try to yawn in front of your girlfriend just to test this theory. Any thing from a black-eye or a broken relationship could be the outcome.

Benefit 2: Cools the brain

Researchers have found that yawning enhances the blood flow and cools the brain.

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Cool brain means better mental efficiency! The nervous system is also stimulated due to yawning!

Benefit 3: Reduces ear discomfort

Sudden changes in altitude or pressure (such as during a plane ride) can cause severe pain in ears. Yawning equalizes pressure between both ears and hence reduces the discomfort.

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Yawning works the same way dry swallowing works to reduce blocked ears.

Benefit 4: Increases oxygen supply to the brain

Every time we yawn, we expel CO2 mixed air from the lungs and draw in fresh air. This enhaces the oxygen level in the body and circulates more oxygen to the brain.

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The enhanced oxygen level naturally helps in making the brain more alert and efficient.

I can personally vouch for the fact that yawning makes the brain cooler, more alert and efficient. I yawned at least 10 times while writing this post. I am sure, you must have yawned at least 100 times reading it till this point!!!

In Conclusion:

Yawn, Yawn Yawn - you will have a fresher brain to count on!

Steemians, please comment freely to share your experiences, knowledge and views about yawning. Thanks.

Note: All images except for the wildlife photos and the title image created by me are from pixabay.com. Image credit has been specifically mentioned for images not falling under these two categories.

Gif crafted by the Legendary @stellabelle for me