I've been nearsighted forever but recently I've required correction for
reading (I'm in my 40's).  So I currently have glasses with progressive that
does the trick.  I believe my correction is a -7 for distance and +2 for
reading.  Now there are times that I wear contacts (generally for playing
sports) that only have distance correction, and I'd tried some drug store
'cheaters' for reading under that condition.  Looks like something around a
+2 works.

I never really thought this whole thing through.  Last night I was wearing
my glasses (progressive) and decided to check out the reading glasses.  If I
remove my glasses and try the readers, my vision is worse.  Ah ha!  I think
I get it.  So if I wanted a pair of glass that were only for reading only -
say, for reading a book in bed - I would actually need distance correction?
And this distance correction would be something not as strong as my -7's?
In a sense, my distance correction causes my need to have near vision
correction?  Would my reading only prescription be something like -7 plus
+2, or -5?  If this is correct, I would expect my reading experience to be
better if I had a pair of reading-only glasses (because I wouldn't need to
look through the bottom of them, etc.)

Thanks.