Why do we get motion sickness?
We get motion sickness when the inner ear feels motion while the eyes see a still scene, such as a page or a screen: the brain receives two messages that don't match. Slow swaying, about once every 5 seconds (0.2 Hz), is the most bothersome (Golding, 2006).
Simplified diagram, not to scale. Dotted curves are estimates based on the studies cited; discomfort is shown as a relative level, from 0 to 100.
Why do we get motion sickness?
A passenger seen from the side, with their inner ear, eyes, and stomach. Choose a situation, then tap a label on the drawing to find out what it is.
Sources: conflict between the inner ear and the eyes, 0.2 Hz rhythm, getting used to motion, and breathing (Golding, 2006); view through the window and video of the road (Griffin and Newman, 2004); driver (Rolnick and Lubow, 1991); signs and advice (CDC Yellow Book, 2025); stomach rhythm (Lien et al., 2003). Drawing not to scale; scene timings and curves: estimates.
Keyboard: 1 to 3 situations, Space pause, L slow motion, R restart, ← → previous or next step.
Frequently asked questions about motion sickness
Why does the driver almost never get motion sickness?
The driver rarely gets motion sickness because they control the motion: they turn the wheel before each curve, and their brain knows what's coming. When you control the motion yourself, you get less sick than a passenger (Rolnick and Lubow, 1991). The driver also looks far ahead at the road: their eyes see the motion their inner ear feels.
Why do children get motion sickness more often?
Children get motion sickness more than adults: sensitivity peaks between ages 7 and 12, then slowly declines, while children under 2 usually don't get it (CDC Yellow Book, 2025). One review places the peak closer to ages 9 to 10 (Golding, 2006). No one knows exactly why sensitivity follows this curve. For a child, it's best to ask a pharmacist before giving any medicine: the scopolamine patch, for example, should be avoided.
What helps with carsickness?
The simplest thing is to look at the road or the horizon and avoid reading or staring at a screen (CDC Yellow Book, 2025). In a car study, seeing the road through the window reduced motion sickness, but the same road filmed on a screen didn't help (Griffin and Newman, 2004). Breathing slowly helps a little (Golding, 2006). Medicines exist, such as dimenhydrinate, taken about 2 hours ahead, or the scopolamine patch, 6 to 8 hours ahead; they often cause drowsiness: ask a pharmacist for advice.
Does ginger work for motion sickness?
We don't really know: the evidence on ginger is weak and contradictory (CDC Yellow Book, 2025). In a small study of 13 people, ginger reduced nausea and the disrupted stomach rhythm (Lien, 2003); in another of 28 people, it changed nothing (Stewart, 1991). Medicines, on the other hand, have proven themselves in reviews of trials (Spinks and Wasiak, 2011; Karrim, 2022).
Can you get used to seasickness?
Yes, the body slowly gets used to repeated motion, but it takes time (CDC Yellow Book, 2025). Training programs work for more than 85% of people, but often last weeks; trips spaced more than a week apart almost prevent getting used to it (Golding, 2006). In the meantime, on a boat as in a car, looking at the horizon helps (CDC Yellow Book, 2025).
True or false?
Babies get motion sickness more often than older children.
False. Children under 2 usually don't get motion sickness. Sensitivity peaks instead between ages 7 and 12 (CDC Yellow Book, 2025).
Looking at the horizon helps prevent motion sickness.
True. Your eyes then see the motion your inner ear feels. In a car study, seeing the road through the window reduced motion sickness (Griffin and Newman, 2004).
A screen showing the road helps as much as looking out the window.
False. In the same study, the road filmed live and shown on a screen in front of the passenger didn't help, while the real view through the window did (Griffin and Newman, 2004).
This page as text
The same information as the charts, to read without animation: for each chart, the values at the main moments, then the notes with their level of evidence.
Reading, watching the road, or driving: who gets motion sickness?
The passenger who reads is hit hardest, the one watching the road much less, the driver almost never. Estimated curves, for a trip on a winding road.
| Minutes of travel | Passenger reading or looking at a screen (dotted) | Passenger watching the road (dotted) | Driver (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Departure | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 min | 22 | 6 | 2 | of travel on a winding road |
| 20 min | 52 | 14 | 3 | of travel on a winding road |
| 30 min | 70 | 22 | 5 | of travel on a winding road |
| 40 min | 82 | 28 | 6 | of travel on a winding road |
| 50 min | 90 | 32 | 7 | of travel on a winding road |
| 60 min | 94 | 35 | 8 | of travel on a winding road |
Key points
- Two messages that don't match (Throughout, Shown in humans)
The inner ear feels the curves and the braking; the eyes, resting on a page, see a still scene. With strong enough motion, almost anyone can get motion sickness; only people whose inner ear no longer works escape it. Source: Golding, "Motion sickness susceptibility", Auton Neurosci, 2006 - Seeing the road helps, a screen doesn't (From 5 min, Shown in humans)
In a car study, 30-minute trips with 20 people per condition: seeing the road through the window reduced motion sickness, but the same road filmed live on a screen didn't help. Source: Griffin and Newman, "Visual field effects on motion sickness in cars", Aviat Space Environ Med, 2004 - The driver, rarely sick (Throughout, Shown in humans)
When you control the motion yourself, like the driver or the pilot, you get less sick than the passenger: the brain knows ahead of time what's coming. Source: Rolnick and Lubow, "Why is the driver rarely motion sick? The role of controllability in motion sickness", Ergonomics, 1991 - Slow swaying, the worst (From 10 min, Shown in humans)
The most bothersome motions sway about once every 5 seconds (0.2 Hz). Above once per second, as when walking or running, they don't make you sick, even when they shake hard. Source: Golding, "Motion sickness susceptibility", Auton Neurosci, 2006 - Nausea, fatigue, headache (From 15 min, Shown in humans)
The main signs are nausea and vomiting; you may also feel sleepy, tired, dizzy, or have a headache. Reading or staring at a nearby point makes it worse. Source: CDC Yellow Book 2025, "Motion Sickness" - Estimated curves (Throughout, Hypothesis)
The shapes follow the studies cited; the levels, from 0 to 100, are estimates to compare the three seats.
At what age is motion sickness most common?
Babies almost escape it, children aged 7 to 12 are the most sensitive, then it declines in adulthood. Women are a little more affected. Estimated curves.
| Minutes of travel | Women and girls (dotted) | Men and boys (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 years | 4 | 4 | Age 2 |
| 7 years | 60 | 60 | Age 7: the most sensitive age |
| 12 years | 95 | 59 | Age 12: the most sensitive age |
| 20 years | 62 | 38 | Age 20 |
| 40 years | 45 | 28 | Age 40 |
| 60 years | 32 | 20 | Age 60 |
| 80 years | 24 | 15 | Age 80 |
Key points
- Toddlers, almost spared (Up to age 2, Shown in humans)
Children under 2 usually don't get motion sickness. Source: CDC Yellow Book 2025, "Motion Sickness" - The peak, between ages 7 and 12 (From age 5 to 13, Shown in humans)
Sensitivity rises in childhood, peaks between ages 7 and 12, then slowly declines in adulthood. A review by Golding (2006) places it closer to ages 9 to 10. Source: CDC Yellow Book 2025, "Motion Sickness" - Slightly more women (From age 12, Shown in humans)
At sea, about 5 women vomit for every 3 men. The gap remains much smaller than the one due to age. Source: Golding, "Motion sickness susceptibility", Auton Neurosci, 2006 - Migraine and dizziness (From age 12, Shown in humans)
People who have migraines, dizziness, or an inner ear disorder are more prone to motion sickness. Source: CDC Yellow Book 2025, "Motion Sickness" - You can get used to it (From age 18, Shown in humans)
The body gets used to repeated motion: training programs succeed in more than 85% of people, but often last weeks. Trips spaced more than a week apart almost prevent getting used to it. Source: Golding, "Motion sickness susceptibility", Auton Neurosci, 2006 - Estimated curves (Throughout life, Hypothesis)
The ages and the gap between women and men come from the studies; the exact shape of the curves is an estimate.
Patch, pill, or ginger: what works for motion sickness?
Medicines work but need to be taken ahead of time and often cause drowsiness; the evidence for ginger is weak. Estimated protection curves, hour by hour after taking them.
| Minutes of travel | Scopolamine patch (dotted) | Dimenhydrinate pill (dotted) | Ginger (weak evidence) (dotted) | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dose | 0 | 0 | 0 | When taken |
| 2 h | 16 | 75 | 12 | after taking it |
| 8 h | 85 | 45 | 1 | after taking it |
| 24 h | 90 | 0 | 0 | after taking it |
| 48 h | 89 | 0 | 0 | after taking it |
| 72 h | 80 | 0 | 0 | after taking it |
Key points
- The patch: ahead of time, then 3 days (Throughout, Shown in humans)
Stuck behind the ear, the scopolamine patch takes 6 to 8 hours to work and protects for up to 72 hours. It should be avoided in children: it can cause confusion and hallucinations. Source: CDC Yellow Book 2025, "Motion Sickness" - Scopolamine, better than a placebo (Throughout, Shown in humans)
A review of 14 studies and 1,025 people found scopolamine more effective than a placebo for preventing motion sickness. Source: Spinks and Wasiak, "Scopolamine (hyoscine) for preventing and treating motion sickness", Cochrane, 2011 - The pill: 2 hours ahead (Up to 10 h, Shown in humans)
Dimenhydrinate (50 to 100 mg in adults) works in about 2 hours and lasts about 8 hours. Source: CDC Yellow Book 2025, "Motion Sickness" - Effective, but it makes you sleepy (Up to 10 h, Shown in humans)
In a review of 9 trials and 658 people, 40% stayed symptom-free with an antihistamine versus 25% with a placebo; but 66% were drowsy versus 44%. Non-drowsy antihistamines, such as cetirizine, don't work. Source: Karrim et al., "Antihistamines for motion sickness", Cochrane, 2022 - Ginger: little evidence (Up to 10 h, Shown in humans)
The evidence is weak and contradictory: a small trial of 13 people found it helped, another of 28 people found no effect. Source: Lien et al., "Effects of ginger on motion sickness and gastric slow-wave dysrhythmias induced by circular vection", Am J Physiol, 2003 - Breathing slowly (Up to 10 h, Shown in humans)
Breathing slowly and steadily increases tolerance to motion, about half as much as a medicine, but right away and with no side effects. Source: Golding, "Motion sickness susceptibility", Auton Neurosci, 2006 - Estimated curves (Throughout, Hypothesis)
The onset times and durations come from the CDC; the height of the curves is an estimate for comparison.
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