Why Do I Yawn When I Sing? 

Yawning when you're singing is a prevalent thing that happens to a lot of singers.

Does it happen so often to the point where it's interrupting their performances? Not often. But if it's happening a little too often for your liking, you may want to find out the root of the action and see where you need to go.

Yawning when singing usually comes from 3 reasons: nothing to worry about too much. I decided not to include the most obvious reason: you're just tired and need a break. But don't be afraid to admit it if that's your issue!

Reason 1: You're New To Singing

New singers are much yawnier than seasoned singers. The main reason here is simply because their body is not used to all these new mouth placements that are going on when you first start your singing journey.

When people talk, they don't have as much physical range of motion with their mouths in comparison to singing. These new movements are confusing and cause the yawn reflex to be triggered. 

Related Post: How Long Does It Take To Get Good At Singing?

How to stop yawning when you sing: If you want to get rid of these types of yawns, just stay consistent in your singing and practice. Your body will get used to your performance and will adapt by slowly subsiding those pesky yawns.

It may help to warm up for an extended period of time and get the yawns out of the way if you have a performance coming up. 

Reason 2: You're Classically Trained 

Yawning can be good for singing. Choir and operatic singing often require something called a half yawn, which is a good vocal technique for helping your tone resonate better when you sing.

Long vowels work really well in the classical music realm, so when you're warming up, rehearsing, or performing, your body is also triggering that yawn reflex with such a wide mouth opening position. 

Related Post: Check out some good vocal warmups that include yawns.

How to stop yawning when you sing: This isn't something you can completely get rid of, but again, warming up usually shakes those yawns out of your system, and they don't linger on the longer you sing in that particular session.

The yawns will probably come back daily, but it's very possible to keep them contained in your warmups. 

Reason 3: You're Not Getting Enough Air

If you're singing and barely making it through your phrases before running out of air, you're working your body really hard and tiring yourself out.

You're not yawning because of your mouth or jaw or anything; you're just tired.

A lot of great-sounding, powerful singers suffer from poor breath support, and all that power wears them out if they perform for more than 30 minutes straight. 

How to stop yawning when you sing: Work on your breathing techniques to fix this. If you're not able to get through phrases like other singers are, you have some work to do to fill up your lungs properly before singing.

Breathe deep and fill your lungs to the point where you can literally see your body expanding when you breathe in.

Don't just breathe with your shoulders. It's a common misconception that you should breathe in by sucking in your gut, and singers who have this reflex don't have enough air to support their notes. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, yawning while singing is a common occurrence for many singers, especially beginners and those who sing classical music. However, it's not something to be too worried about, as it can often be easily remedied.

If you're a new singer, consistent practice and warm-ups can help your body get used to the new mouth placements and reduce the frequency of yawns. If you're a classical singer, the half yawn can actually be a beneficial technique for improving your tone.

And if you find yourself yawning due to a lack of air, it's important to work on your breathing techniques to properly fill up your lungs before singing.

So don't be discouraged if you find yourself yawning during a performance or practice session, and remember that with a bit of effort and practice, you can minimize or eliminate this issue altogether. Keep singing and don't let a little yawn get in the way of your passion!