# Breathing and yawning **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438 "2022-05-31T14:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438/1 "2022-05-31T14:40:17Z")
I have wondered about why it feels like all deep breaths don’t reach the bottom of the lungs (The alvioli?) How does it work that deep breathing from the diaphragm does not always reach this level. Even if one practices a deep breathing exercise one can sometimes feel a yawn coming. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438/2 "2022-05-31T22:52:11Z")
What is this relationship between deep breathing and yawning that you sense? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438/3 "2022-06-01T18:20:22Z")
I feel like yawning brings air deep into the lungs. But only some breaths feel like that. Sometimes one can be consciously breathing deeply but not catch the depth of a yawn. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438/4 "2022-06-01T18:43:26Z")
What do you mean by ‘deep breathing from the diaphragm’, are you pushing out your chest or your belly to do that? I know very little about this but puffing up your chest isn’t the best way to fill your lungs, you have to let you stomach relax and reduce pressure under your lungs. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438/5 "2022-06-01T19:25:17Z")
Yawning doesn’t necessarily draw air deep into the lungs. Watch a dog or cat yawn. They rarely draw in a breath when they yawn. I suspect that drawing a breath during yawning is a learned behavior for humans. Once I noticed my dog’s habit of yawning without drawing a breath, I found I could, as well. I know the “conventional wisdom” for the purpose of yawns is to increase the oxygen content of the blood, but I am beginning to doubt that wisdom. It seems it is more of an attempt to exercise the jaw and neck muscles that actually drawing a breath (which can certainly be done without yawning). ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438/6 "2022-06-01T20:33:09Z")
Actually I googled why we yawn and oxygen wasn’t listed. For me it fills my lungs, as I already stated. I can’t think of exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathing-and-yawning/965438/7 "2022-06-01T20:33:39Z")
Belly breathing.