Yawning Epidemic: The Surprising Science Behind Contagious Yawns

According to the article, researchers have proposed two main theories to explain why yawning may be contagious. The first idea is that our brains are tuned to mirror the actions of others, and when we see or hear a yawn, the circuits involved in social mirroring and empathy may prime the throat and face muscles to mirror the behavior. This may have helped groups of humans synchronize their arousal and stay alert together in the past.

The second theory is that yawning may briefly boost blood and air flow through the sinuses, helping to cool the brain. If one member of a group shows signs of overheating or fatigue, others may copy the yawning behavior to stabilize their attention and arousal levels. The article notes that the susceptibility to yawning rises with social closeness and tiredness, and drops when the room is cool or the person is already highly alert.

The article also suggests that people who pay less attention to others' faces or are intensely task-focused, such as very young children and some autistic individuals, often yawn less. The effect is more pronounced when a person's gaze shifts to others' faces. However, if the brain-cooling aspect is more important, people in cooler environments, those breathing through the nose, or those keeping their jaw busy may be able to suppress the urge to yawn better.