Why Can’t You Always ‘Complete’ Yawns?

Repeated incomplete, unfinished yawns are often manifestations of underlying anxiety or stress. When you are stressed or anxious, you can’t “let go” enough to relax fully and achieve that full muscular stretch, causing a feeling of annoyance or dissatisfaction with the yawn. When you yawn, you end up stretching a lot of muscles in the face and the chest, limbs, and abdomen. This stretching sends signals to the part of the brain associated with experiencing good sensations. Being stressed or anxious can prevent completing these actions. The Thompson Cortisol hypothesis suggests that cortisol, a hormone that plays an important role in stress, is briefly elevated when one yawns. Excessive yawning may be a sign of stress and anxiety, leading to an incomplete yawn in conjunction with an unconscious inability to let go. If you are stressed or anxious, you will not fully relax and achieve this full muscle stretch, which will make you feel angry or dissatisfied with yawning.