Yawning is something we mostly stifle—after all, it can be embarrassing to yawn in front of someone. It’s as if we are announcing that we didn’t get enough sleep or, worse, that we’re bored.
It’s a shame—because researchers have discovered that the humble yawn is a major contributor to mental alertness… keeps our brains properly cooled (literally)… and helps us to shift from one activity to another, even to adjust from one time zone to another. For example, yawn soon after awakening to rev up your brain for the day or at night to help calm yourself down and promote sleep. To find out how to consciously use yawning as a tool to make life better, High Energy for Life turned to Patt Lind-Kyle, a psychotherapist based in Nevada City, California, and author of Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain(Energy Psychology Press).
THE SCIENCE OF THE YAWN
Most people believe that we yawn to bring oxygen from the air into the body, but that’s wrong, said Dr. Lind-Kyle. She calls yawning an “exercise for the brain” based on the growing number of studies that have found that it facilitates mental efficiency. Yawning does its magic by literally forcing extra blood directly to the brain. When you yawn, your facial muscles broadly contract and then relax, and this action pushes oxygen-rich blood into the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the location of the “executive function” that covers planning, organization, decision-making, personality expression and many other crucial activities.
The yawn also sends blood to stimulate an area called the precuneus, which is involved in consciousness, memory and motor coordination. A study conducted a few years ago at State University of New York-Albany found that performing difficult mental tasks, such as processing lots of information, actually increases brain temperature. Though we’re all familiar with the way ongoing mental labor can trigger yawning, it’s not because it is tiring. The blood that the yawn sends to the brain helps to curtail the brain’s rising temperature. This, in turn, helps to maintain mental efficiency. Interestingly, both yawning and body thermoregulation seem to be controlled by the same area of the brain, the hypothalamus.
HOW TO BRING ON A YAWN
We think of yawns as automatic, but it’s surprisingly easy to make yourself yawn…
Focus thoughts on yawning. Yawns are not only contagious from person to person—even thinking about a yawn can help trigger one, said Dr. Lind-Kyle. Close your eyes and picture a yawn, or say the word “yawn” repeatedly to encourage one.
Fake a yawn… or two… or three until a real one sets in. Dr. Lind-Kyle said that she generally gets a real yawn after one or two fakes, but however long it takes, stick with it—it will happen.
Consciously slow your breathing. The decreased oxygen may help trigger a yawn—flaring your nostrils as you breathe in may make this happen faster.
And finally, the best yawn is one you fully experience, Dr. Lind-Kyle said. So go all the way —open your mouth wide, scrunch your face fully, and take a deep, full breath. Just be ready to explain yourself if you’re in company!
PUTTING YOUR YAWNS TO WORK
Now that we know that yawning can increase our efficiency in a number of areas… how can we take better advantage of this? Here are some situations in which Dr. Lind-Kyle suggests adding a yawn…
To stimulate better thinking. When you are preparing for an exam, a presentation or an important conversation, you can enhance your performance by yawning several times first. During an exam, don’t be shy about yawning when you find yourself losing focus or starting to stumble in your thoughts—it will help.
To reduce jet lag and reset energy levels. At 20 weeks gestation, fetuses start to develop a wake/sleep pattern and as part of the process, they yawn… a lot. Dr. Lind-Kyle said that we can consciously use yawning to help reset our wake/sleep patterns, including when suffering jet lag. To start, yawn five times or so as soon as you get off the airplane. When you’ve experienced how well this refreshes you, Dr. Lind-Kyle said you may soon begin to do it intuitively—you’ll find yourself yawning whenever you feel yourself starting to drag. She said that yawning can be used in this manner to help you acclimate to high altitudes and to reset your energy level as you switch from one activity to another, such as from sleep to wakefulness.
To improve your mood… and, possibly even your relationships. Yawning is associated with increased levels ofdopamine, the neurotransmitter released from the hypothalamus that is associated with pleasure, motivation and sociability. Dr. Lind-Kyle said that when two people yawn together, it can help diminish tension in the relationship. If nothing else, a shared yawning session should make for a few ice-breaking laughs.
For relaxation. Curiously, although yawning serves to stimulate the brain, a deep yawn and wide stretch also relax the body. Dr. Lind-Kyle, who leads meditation classes, always starts with a healthy yawn, which she says gets people relaxed quickly. She said that bringing on a few deep yawns at bedtime may help you get to sleep.
