[Seany (OP)]

 [] []

[Soul Surfer]

Yawning is an indication that your body is not getting enough oxygen this is usually because we are very tired and not breathing deeply enough.  It is effectively the processes that keep us alive when we are asleep taking over briefly and making sure you are breathing.  You listen to someone breathing when they are awake and when they are asleep it is very different.  That's why you can often easily tell when people are faking being asleep in the morning  :-)

[lyner]

So why can we make each other yawn just by yawning?
Are we just communicating that we are bored silly?

[rosalind dna]

Then why do I yawn first thing in the morning, if I am supposed to be tired.
I rarely yawn at nighttime though also I once heard on Radio 4 that it is a
way of expelling bad air from your lungs. I am not sure if this is true.

[neilep]

So why can we make each other yawn just by yawning?
Are we just communicating that we are bored silly?

Yawning is also contagious via the phone...just hearing someone yawn can set it off too !

[paul.fr]

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=254.0

[Karen W.]

Just reading this thread makes me yawn! LOL...

[JimBob]

It is the first - O₂ necessity.

[Carolyn]

I once had a demented boss that used to send memo's to me on stationary that looked like this:

yawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawn
yawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawn
yawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawn
yawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawn
yawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawn
yawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawn
yawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawnyawn

He would also make it appear on my computer screen.  Hateful jerk would have me yawning all day long.

[Karen W.]

LOL LOL! Reminds me of me mom! LOL She used to do that to us kids to psych us out and make us sleepy for bed! LOL She was a case!

[another_someone]

Do we not also yawn when we are hungry, not merely when we are tire or need more air - is it not simply saying we need something more in our mouths, whether it be air or food?

[Karen W.]

I have never noticed needing to yawn when I am hungry??? Do you?

[Nobody's Confidant]

also talking about yawning makes you yawn. I read this post and started yawning.