The Science of Yawning

This chapter investigates the various theories behind yawning, challenging the outdated belief that it merely indicates tiredness. It emphasizes the role of yawning in brain cooling and social behaviors, while exploring its contagious nature across species and its connection to circadian rhythms.

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Episode notes

In this episode 1 of a 6-part special series on sleep with Dr. Matthew Walker, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and psychology and founder of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of the book “Why We Sleep” discusses the essential role that sleep plays in our health. We cover how sleep affects our hormones, immune system, learning and memory, mood, appetite, and weight regulation.

We also discuss what causes the urge to sleep, how sleep is structured throughout the night, and the biology of the different phases of sleep. We also teach you how to determine your individualized sleep needs, including your chronotype (best waking and to-bed time), tips for combat snoring and insomnia, and your QQRT (Quality, Quantity, Regularity, and Timing)—a key framework for optimizing your sleep and therefore daytime energy and focus, and overall health.

The next episode in this special series explores how to improve one’s sleep.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.