The authors then adjusted for other factors, such as income. Habitual snorers had 1.59 times the odds of a below-50 physical score. They had 1.25 times the odds of a below-50 mental score. Treating the scores as plain numbers, snorers scored 2.38 points lower on physical health and 1.21 points lower on mental health. Snoring wasn't the strongest link. Having a long-term illness went with 3.00 times the odds of a below-50 physical score.

Snoring and Quality of Life: A 2026 Survey

Q: What doesn't it tell you?

Cause. It's a single survey, so it can't show whether snoring came before the lower scores. Whether it was sleep apnea. Nobody had a sleep test, so the study couldn't separate plain snoring from sleep apnea. How accurate the answers were. Snoring was self-reported, and people who sleep alone may not know they snore. Everyone. People were recruited while visiting a health center, and may be less healthy than the general population. What 50 means. The authors say a score below 50 is below the reference average, not a sign of a health problem.

A survey of 2,312 adults at Shanghai community health centers found that people who snored 3 or more nights a week scored lower on physical and mental quality of life.

PulseOxTracker Team9 October 2026

Infographic. Habitual snoring and quality of life scores. 80.0% of habitual snorers and 67.9% of everyone else scored below the reference average of 50 for physical health. Who was studied: 2,312 adults at 7 community health centers in Shanghai, China, October to December 2022, 63.0% women, one survey with a snoring question and the SF-12 health survey. What the study found: 36.9% said they snore 3 or more nights a week. Physical health score: snorers 42.9, everyone else 46.0, reference average is 50. Mental health score: snorers 49.9, everyone else 50.8, and 46.9% vs 42.4% scored below 50. After adjusting for other factors, the odds of a below-50 score were 1.59 times as high for physical health and 1.25 times as high for mental health. Chronic disease had a stronger link: 3.00 times the odds of a below-50 physical score. What it cannot show: one survey cannot show which came first, snoring was self-reported from a single question, there were no sleep tests so snoring and sleep apnea were not separated, and the people were visiting a health center, not the general population. Source: Ge et al. 2026, Frontiers in Public Health. — What the survey found: 80.0% of habitual snorers scored below the reference average for physical health, against 67.9% of everyone else.

Snoring is often written off as a nuisance for whoever shares the bed. A survey published in August 2026 asked whether people who snore 3 or more nights a week also rate their own health lower.

They did, and the gap was wider for physical health than for mental health.

Who was in the study?

2,312 adults visiting 7 community health centers in Shanghai, China, between October and December 2022.
63.0% were women, and 51.0% were under 45.
Each person answered one question about how often they snore.
"Habitual snoring" meant 3 or more nights a week. 36.9% said yes.
They also filled in the SF-12, a 12-question health survey that gives a physical score and a mental score. The reference average for each is 50.

What did it find?

	Habitual snorers	Everyone else
Physical score	42.9	46.0
Mental score	49.9	50.8
Physical score below 50	80.0%	67.9%
Mental score below 50	46.9%	42.4%

The authors then adjusted for other factors, such as income.

Habitual snorers had 1.59 times the odds of a below-50 physical score.
They had 1.25 times the odds of a below-50 mental score.
Treating the scores as plain numbers, snorers scored 2.38 points lower on physical health and 1.21 points lower on mental health.

Snoring wasn't the strongest link. Having a long-term illness went with 3.00 times the odds of a below-50 physical score.

What doesn't it tell you?

Cause. It's a single survey, so it can't show whether snoring came before the lower scores.
Whether it was sleep apnea. Nobody had a sleep test, so the study couldn't separate plain snoring from sleep apnea.
How accurate the answers were. Snoring was self-reported, and people who sleep alone may not know they snore.
Everyone. People were recruited while visiting a health center, and may be less healthy than the general population.
What 50 means. The authors say a score below 50 is below the reference average, not a sign of a health problem. 72.4% of the whole group scored below 50 on physical health.
The timing. The survey ran late in the COVID-19 pandemic, which the authors say may have affected the mental scores.

What can you do with this?

Snoring 3 or more nights a week is worth mentioning to a doctor, especially with daytime tiredness or pauses in breathing that someone else has noticed. The sleep apnea risk check takes about a minute and helps you decide whether to have that conversation.

Snoring apps vs oximeters explains what each one records. Neither can tell you whether you have sleep apnea.

Not a medical device. Does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Discuss results and changes with a clinician.

References

Ge X, Sheng Y, Gong R, Wang S, Liu S, Xu C, Yu Y, Yao Y, Cai Y, Xu Z. Self-reported habitual snoring and health-related quality of life among adults attending community health centers in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health. 2026;14:1891156. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2026.1891156