Chapter 09 — Big & Curious
Why is yawning contagious?
Contagious yawning appears to be an empathy-linked automatic mimicry: it's stronger with people you're close to, appears in children around age four, and shows up in chimps and dogs too. The exact function is still debated.
Follow-up questions
Why do we yawn at all?
The leading theory is brain thermoregulation — a deep yawn increases blood flow and cools the brain slightly. Low oxygen, the older theory, has been largely disproven.
Do animals yawn contagiously?
Chimpanzees, bonobos, wolves, and domestic dogs have all shown contagious yawning, usually towards familiar individuals.
Why does yawning feel good?
It stretches jaw muscles and the eardrum tensor, briefly increases heart rate, and equalises ear pressure — a small physiological reset.
Is excessive yawning a warning sign?
Frequent yawning can accompany sleep deprivation, sleep apnoea, some medications, and rarely cardiac or neurological issues — worth mentioning to a doctor if it's new and persistent.
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