The average adult yawns about 20 times a day. But why? Surely we cannot all be that tired. The truth is the science behind yawning is much more complex than just a few hours too little sleep.

So why do we do it then? Well, new research suggests it might be because yawning cools the brain down and prevents it from overheating, much like the fan in your laptop. So, why do we yawn when tired?

While researchers aren’t quite clear why yawning happens, we do know it can be triggered by a variety of factors, many of which have nothing to do with our energy levels. And in some cases ...

It’s almost impossible not to yawn after seeing someone else do it, but most of us probably ... on in our bodies and brains when we are yawning, and why is it so hard to stop?

Yawning is an involuntary action characterised by opening your mouth wide, taking a deep breath, and then exhaling slowly. It ...

He added: "We still know relatively little about why we yawn. Various studies have proposed links between contagious yawning and empathy, yet the research supporting this connection is mixed and ...

Some find they yawn when hungry but a large meal can do likewise. The reflex has long ... There thus can be no unitary explanation for why we yawn but it would seem to serve at least two functions.

Everybody does it, but why? Scientists aren’t really sure if exhaustion, stress or some other social factor is at the root of yawning – and how it can be so contagious. We don’t have ...