by MPSimmons
11 subcomments
- The contagious nature of yawning is so weird. It has to be evolutionarily advantageous because it's so wide spread, but it's also non-obvious.
- Reminds me of a recent finding that attention lapses in a sleep-deprived brain correlate with flushing of cerebrospinal fluid (almost a garbage collection pause).
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45771636
- https://archive.is/lTghJ
by ectospheno
1 subcomments
- https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.17.695005v1
Is that the paper in question?
- > “Each individual seems to have what looks like an individual yawning signature”
I’m looking forward to “yawn to unlock”.
Also, what’s the deal with that article image?
- There was an article posted recently about a new discovery around CSF flows during sleep too. It sounds like yawning causes similar flows, which could maybe explain why you yawn more when tired? It could be a compensation mechanism to provide a bit of the same effect you normally get when sleeping.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45771636
- You know how yawning is also a social function, and seeing someone yawn makes you yawn?
I just got forced into a good neurofluid flow reorganization session just by reading the title.
- > If an animal is drowsy or bored, it will be less alert than when fully awake and less prepared to spring into action. "Contagious" yawning could be an instinctual signal between group members to stay alert.
> Anecdotal evidence suggests that yawning helps increase a person's alertness.
> Paratroopers have been noted to yawn during the moments before
they exit their aircraft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yawn
- This article made me yawn. :)
- "To tire, perchance to yawn."
- > yawning is not simply an intensified breath but a distinct cardiorespiratory manoeuvre that reorganizes neurofluid flow
Brilliant, I'll use that next time I yawn somewhere inappropriately.
- I did not read the article. But my question is - does it mean yawning (like trying to yawn on purpose which in my case will make me "really" yawn soon) influences those fluids inside my brain?
Or - a change in those fluids makes me yawn?
by ljsprague
1 subcomments
- Why do I yawn more when I'm cold?
- paywall
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