The feeling is all too familiar for many travelers: a wonderful trip undercut by the queasy, disorienting effects of motion sickness. While popping a pill has long been the standard fix, what if the solution was as simple as pressing “play”? Groundbreaking research has uncovered a surprising connection between music and the brain’s ability to recover from travel-induced sickness, suggesting your playlist might be the most important thing you pack.
Why Travel Makes You Feel Sick
Motion sickness isn’t a stomach problem; it’s more like a case of crossed wires in your brain. Scientists call it the Sensory Conflict Theory, and it happens when your brain gets mixed signals from your body’s motion-sensing systems. Imagine you’re in a car reading a book. Your eyes, focused on the still pages, tell your brain you’re not moving. Your body, settled in the seat, reports the same thing. But deep inside your inner ear, your vestibular system—your personal balance center—feels every bump, turn, and change in speed.
It sends a completely different, and very insistent, message to the brain: you are most definitely moving. The same conflict can happen on a boat when the cabin looks stable but your inner ear feels the rock of the waves, or even when using a VR headset.
When your brain gets these conflicting reports, it can’t piece them together into a coherent story. This confusion is thought to be an old, deeply ingrained survival instinct. In our evolutionary past, the only thing that could typically cause such a severe sensory mismatch was ingesting a neurotoxin—a natural poison.
So, the brain leaps to a logical, if outdated, conclusion: you’ve been poisoned. In response, it triggers its emergency defense protocol to get rid of the perceived threat. This is what brings on that familiar wave of nausea, dizziness, and cold sweats. It’s a primal reaction, which explains why the feeling can be so powerful, overwhelming, and hard to simply “will away.”
How Music Can Help
To figure out how music helps with this sensory knot, researchers ran a clever experiment using a driving simulator to safely and consistently bring on motion sickness. They had participants wear EEG caps, which measure brainwaves, to get a real-time look at their brain activity. After a dizzying virtual drive, some participants listened to 60 seconds of music, while others recovered in silence. The results clearly showed that some sounds help, while others can actually make things worse.
Joyful, upbeat music was the clear winner, cutting symptoms by an average of 57.3%. Soft, calming music was also very effective, with a 56.7% reduction. For comparison, those who sat in silence only felt 43.3% better, meaning a minute of happy music provided a significant and measurable boost to recovery. The most surprising part? Sad music was the least helpful, reducing symptoms by only 40%—even less than doing nothing at all. This shows that the wrong kind of music can get in the way of your body’s natural ability to rebalance itself.
The science behind this is pretty cool. The study found that as nausea sets in, the brainwave patterns in the occipital lobe (the part of our brain that handles vision) become simpler and less varied. Joyful and soft music helped restore these brainwaves to their normal, more complex state, effectively calming the neurological storm. Upbeat music seems to work in two ways: first, it gives the brain a pleasant and engaging new pattern to focus on, pulling its limited attention away from the internal chaos. Second, it can trigger the brain’s reward systems to release dopamine, giving you a little mood boost that counteracts the miserable feeling. Soft music, on the other hand, works by soothing the autonomic nervous system. Its slow, predictable rhythms encourage your body to relax, which can slow your heart rate, regulate your breathing, and ease the physical tension that makes motion sickness feel so much worse.
Creating Your Anti-Motion Sickness Playlist
So, what should you add to your travel playlist? The trick is to be intentional and pick music that either actively lifts your spirits or gently calms your nerves. Making a dedicated “first-aid” playlist before you travel can be a lifesaver, giving you an immediate tool to turn to the moment you feel that first hint of queasiness.
The ‘Joyful’ Prescription: Upbeat and Energetic Tracks
Think of energetic, positive songs that make you want to tap your feet. This kind of music is a great distraction and helps your brain release dopamine, creating a feeling of pleasure that fights the discomfort. Look for songs with a fast tempo (around 120-176 BPM) and a bright, optimistic sound, which usually comes from being composed in a major key. A strong, steady beat that is easy to follow helps, too. Examples include:
- “Happy” by Pharrell Williams: With its infectious beat and simple chorus, it’s easy for your brain to latch onto.
- “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake: A classic upbeat pop song with a fun bassline that just makes you feel good.
- “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees: This track’s very fast tempo is perfect for pulling your attention away from nausea.
- “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga: The powerful, predictable beat gives your brain something strong and consistent to focus on.
The ‘Soothing’ Prescription: Calm and Relaxing Music
If you prefer a calmer approach, choose music that can soothe your nervous system. This is less about distraction and more about helping your body physically relax. You’ll want songs with a slow, gentle tempo (around 60-80 BPM), which is similar to a healthy resting heart rate and can help guide your body toward a state of calm. Instrumental music is often best, as complex lyrics can demand too much attention when you’re feeling unwell. Think mellow instruments like the piano, strings, or acoustic guitar. A few great examples include:
- “Weightless” by Marconi Union: This song was made with scientists specifically to reduce anxiety, with rhythms that can help your heart rate and brainwaves calm down.
- “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy: A classic piece known for its gentle, flowing melody without any sudden, jarring changes.
- “Gymnopédie No. 1” by Erik Satie: The minimalist and repetitive nature of this piano piece makes it deeply soothing and non-demanding on the brain.
- “Nuvole Bianche” by Ludovico Einaudi: A modern instrumental with a simple, beautiful melody that creates a feeling of peace and stability.
The Music to Skip
Just as important as knowing what to play is knowing what to avoid. The study showed that sad music, often with slow tempos and a melancholy feel from being in a minor key, can make you feel worse. When you’re already physically uncomfortable, this type of music can amplify those negative feelings through a process called negative emotional resonance. Essentially, your mood can sync up with the somber music, reinforcing the physical discomfort and making it harder for your brain and body to feel better.
Tune Out Nausea for Good
Music is a practical, easy, and side-effect-free tool for managing motion sickness. Unlike looking at the horizon, which isn’t always possible, a playlist is a portable solution you can use anywhere, anytime. It works directly on the brain—the true source of the problem. And remember, the science provides a great template, but personal preference is the secret ingredient. A song you personally love is likely to be even more effective because it taps into your brain’s reward system more powerfully.
Before your next trip, try creating two playlists: one “joyful” and one “soft,” filled with songs that fit the descriptions and that you genuinely enjoy. Being prepared with the right soundtrack can turn a potentially miserable journey into a comfortable one.
Source:
- Li, Y., Li, Y., Li, Y., Luo, B., Tang, B., & Yue, Q. (2025). A study on the mitigating effect of different music types on motion sickness based on EEG analysis. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1636109
