Should You Stifle That Yawn?

● Did you know that when you yawn you help your breathing? This is because yawning ventilates your lungs more completely. In regular breathing apparently not all the air cells called alveoli in your lungs are equally ventilated. Some of these cells may actually close down at times. The blood that then passes through them enters your arteries without being fully oxygenated. This dilutes the average oxygen content in your blood.

The way these closed-down air cells in your lungs may be opened is by a long, deep yawn. And since most of your body’s muscles take part in this act, yawning may also serve to squeeze stagnant blood out of vessels where it has accumulated. Further, when you yawn, your throat opens wide and is completely relaxed for a moment. This is beneficial to your speaking voice.

What can you do if you feel a yawn coming on? Perhaps you can simply place your hand lightly over your mouth and get the benefits of a full yawn.