DVD player in van & car sickness?

[Torontogal]

Hi all,
We just got a new Toyota Sienna with a DVD player in it. We figured we will be making the Toronto - Florida drive several times over the next several years. My question is - do you tend to get car sickness from watching a DVD in van? My 5 yr. old sometimes get nausea but I was wondering if a DVD would contribute to this? We have never used the DVD player yet.
Also, are there any amazing strategies you suggest to avoid car sickness besides GRAVOL?
Thanks so much!

 

[Ahrizel]

Watching the dvd player or reading a book will really increase the odds of motion sickness. As a fellow sufferer my big fun on a long car ride is listening to music As for the medications, dramamine or bonine are both fairly effective over the counter medicines for motion sickness. They both should be taken an hour or so before you start the motion. There is patch available by prescription also, but I'm not sure it's okay for kids. They're also wrist bands that work on an accupuncture pressure point. I've never tried them, but they do work for some and should have no side effect problems.
There are some general strategies that help. For me, being in the front seat is better then the back and driving is better then passenger. Won't help with a child though. Fresh air from an open window also seems to help. Keeping the eyes straight ahead also, looking around alot seems to increase the problem. Having a large heavy meal or an empty stomach both also aggravate it. A light meal is best. I wish I knew a foolproof cure to give you, motion sickness is a pain in the butt.

 

[dbogen]

My DS12 gets an upset stomach if we travel for more than 45 min. However if we put the tv/dvd in the van with the video game he doesn't have a problem. I think its a matter of being so into the game/video he isn't thinking about feeling yucky.

Deanna

 

[Shagley]

I get car sick if I do anything where I have to try to focus on little things (like reading, puzzle books, etc). We had a DVD player for our trip in May, and I was suprised that it didn't make me feel car sick at all. Our screen is 6" and that was large enough that I didn't have to strain to see it. It didn't bother me one bit.

 

[elgerber]

My dd gets motion sick in the car. Usually however, she can watch movies. Occasionally it will make her a little woozy, but not usually. She cannot read or play games or look down or anything like that, but for some reason the DVD player does not bother her too much.

 

[bctripp]

My kids didn't get motion sickness before we got the DVD, so it didn't bother them after we got it. They watch it all the time. If I were you, i'd try using it for a shorter trip to see how he/she does. Good luck!

 

[ntburns22]

We just recently got a van with DVD also. It doesn't matter one way or another for us. My DD will get sick if we are in the van for more then 1 hour 20 minutes. We just started giving her dramamine sp? for every long care trip. Otherwise we end up in a rest stop cleaning her and the van up.

 

[dtsaos]

One great thing about the sienna's is that unlike other vans, the rear windows roll down and I'm a firm believer that fresh air does help motion sickness and also focusing your eyes kind of in one direction. My DH thinks that motion sickness is not a real thing since he's never experienced it (just had to write that since he was just standing over me, making fun... ). For me if I keep very focused on the screen it's fine, but if I look out the window,or at the floor or something and shift my eyes on and off the screen, I tend to feel a little sick. DH just read this again and said that it's not because he's never experienced it but it's because it's a bunch of bullsh--, you see what I have to put up with! Anyway, give it a go and have a bag ready just in case! Good luck!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I get it from reading, but not from watching a movie--I think because I need to focus on things at a distance and looking down at a book, I have no sight of the surroundings. Looking at a movie, I have the peripheral vision of the landscape and the view beyond the dvd screen of the road.

 

[CanadianPaco]

My daughter would get car sick from our drives from London to Sault Ste Marie. A friend suggested putting those strips on the end of the van. Something about all the electronics in the vehicle - the strips ground the vehicle. I didn't really believe it but we did it! Bam!! It worked - mind you , we told our daughter what we did. Maybe she tokk to the idea, maybe the strips worked. Regardless - no puke

 

[Anewman]

My son gets car sick, but usually he can focus on a movie once we get on the highway with no traffic/hills/curves/stops. We found out really quik that the DVD player does not really get used on short trips in the city.

 

[epcotfan]

I would stick with the Gravol. Some people use Ginger Capsules but it doesn't always work. You could always try Bonine or Bonamine. It doesn't make you quite as drowsy.

 

[stacy6552]

motion sickness comes when your inner ears gets wacked out. I've seen it reccommended that people with motion sickness should sit with their heads up so they can see the horizon (even pariferally). If your DVD screen is on the ceiling, you probably wont have problems. Its when you sit with your head down and cant see the horizon that the inner ears gets messed up and makes you sick.

 

[Disneyjosh229]

Our Cadillac Escalade ESV had one and it made me a little sick to watch it while we were moving, but tinted windows will help ALOT. For me, as long as I looked out the window every ten minutes or so, i would'nt get sick.

 

[Torontogal]

I would love to know what these strips are. Do you know where I can buy them?

 

[MamaLema]

We drove from Toronto and my oldest DS is prone to motion sickness.

We just put on DVD's that are a little shorter in length than most movies. I found he could not tolerate a 2 hr+ movie but did fine with shorter ones.

 

[GoofyDad869]

My wife has the kids rub a tiny dab of Phenergan suspension (anti-nausea) on the wrist before any long trip, works like a charm. But neither kid really has noticeable car sickness (except the one time I took them on a Smoky Mountain drive 4 days after I got my TransAm - bleaack all over the place - I think it was my driving 'style' though).

We've travelled with DVDs for a while now, it's an absolute trip necessity. Except it makes me want to turn around and watch, which could be dangerous...