Why do we cover a yawn?

My understanding of the situation is that there is a bit of manners and a bit of science at work here. You cover your mouth because it is polite to do so. But, science has proved that yawning is contageous, and if you see someone yawn, you will soon be doing the same and anyone watching you will follow. Before long you will have the whole table yawning.

That's the single most convincing answer (post #31 ) to my simple question, l think. Thanks, Dr Higgs!

Now, why can yawning be contagious? Is it a matter of empathy, which hopefully we all have as adults? (To a greater or lesser degree, at any rate.)

- Ken

That's the single most convincing answer (post #31 ) to my simple question, l think. Thanks, Dr Higgs!

Now, why can yawning be contagious? Is it a matter of empathy, which hopefully we all have as adults? (To a greater or lesser degree, at any rate.)

- Ken

Possibly, I just did 30 seconds of googling. It's contagious cross-species (usually between dogs and their owners), between other animals, and even with solitary animals. And I'm pretty confident that my cat has yawned in response to me yawning.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/contagious-yawning-evidence-of-empathy/

Well done, and thanks, arika (post #33)! What a find! I'll go and read that article now.

- Ken

Haven't yet quite finished that article, arika (post #33 ). Pleasant to know that dogs often yawn in seeming empathy with their owners. Amusingly, l've been yawning while reading the article. I AM tired, but as the article notes: ‘[Human yawning may be] triggered [after] reading written descriptions of yawning’ or by ‘a video of another person yawning’ - as well as by actually seeing another person yawning …

Am l boring a lot of you? I think l see you yawning.

- Ken

I have nothing too deep to add at this point (maybe tomorrow or the next day). I was watching a ballet competition on YouTube and Vimeo tonight with some young women wearing masks, which is my medfet. But this gets me wondering, do we automatically cover our mouths while yawning in masks?

I tend not to cover my mouth while yawning, mask or not. Odd, though, since yawning is awkward to do, and watch, imho.

As for covering a yawn, that was my Mom and her many manners. The first time would get a frown but continued yawning without covering yur mouth got the wooden spoon. Mom had a thing about manners.

As for why we yawn, a quick check to Dr Google came up with this

https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-yawn

Thanks jhenson16 (post #37 ). I look forward to reading that article shortly. Earlier here, arika (post #33 ) referred to the article by Jason G. Goldman, “The Thoughtful Animal. Contagious Yawning: Evidence of Empathy?”, in Scientific American, May 17 2012. Apparently, dogs are very good at catching the yawning contagion if their owner does it, i.e., yawn, either in their presence or even in a video …

- Ken

Further to my last (post #38 ) and to the interesting article recommended by jhenson16 (post #37 ). I have now read the article, “Facts About Yawning”, by Jennifer Purdie, in healthline, February 5, 2020. It is slightly less academic than the article mentioned earlier (posts #33 and #38 ), and therefore more broad-ranging. It lists four likely causes of excessive yawning. They are (1) tiredness or fatigue, (2) sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, (3) side effects of medications that are used to treat depression or anxiety, and (4) bleeding in or near the heart.

I thought some readers of this thread would like to have the above summary. My thanks to jhenson16.

- Ken

Speaking of yawns … There are some nice pics of yawns (l like to think) in my Albums called ‘Mouths and related stuff’, 1-6.

- Ken

(4) bleeding in or near the heart.

Oh boy. This is going to be one of those things I will not forget … ha ha

Yawning is a sign that you're bored so it'll be polite to cover your mouth, let alone yawning is considered contagious. 😃

Yawning is not always a sign that you are bored. It may be that you are tired as well.

Tired or sleepy. That's about right.

Some good answers in this thread. Thanks guys! Possibly like many long threads, it has become repetitive in places (e.g., some of the most recent posts). If u don't want to go right back to the start, u might begin at the post of Dr Higgs (post #31 ) and read up to the present.

Except perhaps in music and art, repetition can become boring. (Big yawn!) There, with theme AND variations, it can be exhilarating.

- Ken

I'd heard you covered your mouth so your soul would not be taken or an evil spirit could not possess you.

Today it is just a common courtesy to cover your mouth. Better to not spread anything to others.

But I see common courtesies are not as common as they once were.

Every time I see the topic in my “Recently Unseen”… I yawn! Just seeing the topic makes me yawn and I just did it again while typing this! (I didn't cover that one, I was busy typing…). But, yes, when I yawn in public I cover my mouth - it is just the polite thing to do!

Depends on the “new recently unseen” topic I suppose, can't be all that boring.

Some good answers in this thread. Thanks guys! Possibly like many long threads, it has become repetitive in places (e.g., some of the most recent posts). If u don't want to go right back to the start, u might begin at the post of Dr Higgs (post #31 ) and read up to the present.

Agree with @kenneth177 I think this topic has been thoroughly “covered”. 😜

So is a yawn considered an inverted fart?

I LIKE yawns, Moppys jalopy (post #50 )! That is, of the right person. Don't degrade them, please!

If the person yawning is really obliging - no doubt unconsciously - he/she will allow plenty of light to fall in that wide open mouth!

Just my personal preference, you understand!

- Ken

So is a yawn considered an inverted fart?

Depends greatly if the person has good oral hygiene or not. I have been in front of one or two who did not and their breathade a fart smell like perfume.

But mostly…no.

I’d say it’s simply having good manners, if you yawn you exhale, which obviously can expel germs and in some cases smelly breath. It’s just the polite thing to do I’d say.