Furniture brand Bensons for Beds has unveiled a new campaign to help Brits relax this January.

The ‘Yawnhub’ campaign celebrates the act of yawning and reveals that it releases “feel good” hormones serotonin and dopamine.

The campaign was created following research that revealed that adults on average yawn five times a day.

The study, which surveyed 2000 respondents, found that nearly 37% thought yawning was good for you and 40% felt more energised afterwards.

Sleep expert Dr Sophie Bostock said: “Contrary to popular belief, yawning can be beneficial – it is associated with the release of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, which can have a stress-relieving effect. There are several theories about why we yawn, but there’s no one definitive answer.

“Yawning is often associated with stretching, and increased flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, which helps to wake us up. Yawning can also increase before and during stressful situations and may have a role in promoting relaxation. We also tend to yawn more in hot weather, which might indicate that it has a role in controlling temperature.

She added: “Research shows that, in humans and animals, yawning is also contagious.”

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According to the study, 84% of adults think yawning is contagious.

The retailer’s research also showed 37% of adults felt yawning should not cause them to be judged.

According to the research, 53% of respondents used their hands to hide a yawn, while 44% closed their mouth tightly. The research also showed a further 25% breathed through their nose to try and hide a yawn.

Bensons for Beds head of marketing Lisa Richards said: “We can’t always help when we yawn and sometimes the timing is not quite ideal or appropriate.

“However, yawning is proven to have a myriad of benefits, so at Bensons, we want to celebrate the yawn and help to spread its contagious, feel-good benefits.”