Anyone else get motion sick when trying to read ebook in a car?

[tedmorgan]

I can't read for more than a minute or two without starting to feel nauseas when in a car. Anyone else have that problem? I have an hour a day in the car that I would love to be reading instead of doing nothing

[HarryT]

Try audio books or radio plays. Trying to read anything in a car - pbooks or ebooks - is a sure recipe for motion sickness for me.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by tedmorgan

I can't read for more than a minute or two without starting to feel nauseas when in a car. Anyone else have that problem? I have an hour a day in the car that I would love to be reading instead of doing nothing

Certainly. Nothing to do with it being an eBook as opposed to any other kind of book.
I can't do any sort of head down reading in a car without getting sick.*

Audio books, baby. Audio books are a car commuter's best friend.

*Unless I'm driving. Then I expect I'd crash long before the motion sickness set in.

[crich70]

I've had the same problem myself. You're not alone in that.

[HarryT]

Curiously, though, I can read in trains and aeroplanes without any problems at all. I don't know why there should be a difference, but there is.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Curiously, though, I can read in trains and aeroplanes without any problems at all. I don't know why there should be a difference, but there is.

Same here. I believe it is a combination of fewer turns and less conflicting visual input.

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Curiously, though, I can read in trains and aeroplanes without any problems at all. I don't know why there should be a difference, but there is.

Less turns, centrifugal force scuppers your inner ear if your not looking at a point of reference, theoretically you should be able to read in a car if it's a dead straight road without many accelleration changes.

[tubemonkey]

I don't read in moving vehicles; it makes me dizzy. My format of choice is audio.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ApK

*Unless I'm driving. Then I expect I'd crash long before the motion sickness set in.

Cruise control

[Casey57]

I believe it is a fairly common problem. I know it is for me! I don't even try to read in a car. And we were recently on a 1,200 mile road trip and it was sure tempting with the boring scenery on the turnpikes! But not worth the inevitable headache/nausea.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by ApK

Same here. I believe it is a combination of fewer turns and less conflicting visual input.

Or maybe it's the gentle swaying of trains in motion. Plus they are constant in their speed unlike a car or bus.

[simplyparticular]

Originally Posted by tedmorgan

I can't read for more than a minute or two without starting to feel nauseas when in a car. Anyone else have that problem? I have an hour a day in the car that I would love to be reading instead of doing nothing

I can sympathize, as I had 24 hr motion sickness for 17 weeks during both my pregnancies.


Inside of a car, I was miserable - nothing helped except not eating beforehand and keeping a bag handy. Luckily, DH did all the driving both pregnancies. Unluckily, he hates noise when he drives, so audio books were not an option for distraction.


Outside of the car, I stayed VERY still and read a lot on my Treo. Special thanks to the Patricia Clark Memorial Library for keeping my Treo stocked during these horrendous periods.


I'm back to e-reading in the car now, as DH still prefers quiet. The Sony Reader is an important contributor to marital harmony and less stressful commutes.

[Ripplinger]

I used to not be able to read in cars at all. Then we got 4WD bit bigger trucks (like Jimmies or Blazers) that aren't as smooth riding (ok, bouncier) and in those, or in vans, I have zero problems and I can read for 12 hours straight. For me, the smoother the car ride is when I can't read.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

Luckily, DH did all the driving both pregnancies. Unluckily, he hates noise when he drives, so audio books were not an option for distraction.

Why didn't you use headphones??

I never had issues with motion sickness and reading, then I met Halifax bus drivers. There must be a section in their training on how to induce motion sickness in passengers, because a lot of the drivers can induce nausea when I try to read.