Dec. 15, 2008 -- If your head is overheated, there's a good chance you'll yawn soon, according to a new study that found the primary purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature.

The finding solves several mysteries about yawning, such as why it's most commonly done just before and after sleeping, why certain diseases lead to excessive yawning, and why breathing through the nose and cooling off the forehead often stop yawning.

The key yawn instigator appears to be brain temperature.

"Brains are like computers," Andrew Gallup, a researcher in the Department of Biology at Binghamton University who led the study, told Discovery News. "They operate most efficiently when cool, and physical adaptations have evolved to allow maximum cooling of the brain."

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/15/yawn-brain-head.html

That's fascinating actually. I always thought it was because I was tired ha.

same here

No, nobody can know what yawning means! Mario told me so on the Super Mario Super Show!

mario is full of LIES!!!!! lol jk

... that just sounds stupid.

Interesting, but doesn't oxygen play a role.

So what's the explanation for why yawns seem to be contagious?

My brain must be severely overheated because I yawn a lot. haha.

But, yet, I'm also tired a lot sooo I don't know what to believe.

I'll just come to the conclusion that being over tired makes your brain overheat. Yeah, sounds good.

Well, duh. When does your computer overheat? When you've just turned it on, or when you've been using it for a while?

Makes sense.

*yawns.*