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Regular snoring can be bad for your heart
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Loud snoring that keeps you up at night may not just be a noisy irritant, but an early warning sign of dangerous hypertension.
A new study by sleep experts at Flinders University has found that people, particularly overweight middle-aged men, who regularly snore at night are more likely to have high blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension.
The study, "Regular snoring is associated with uncontrolled hypertension," published in the journal npj Digital Medicine, is the largest objective study and the first to use multi-day home monitoring technology to examine the link between snoring and hypertension.
"For the first time we can objectively say that there is a significant link between regular nighttime snoring and high blood pressure," said lead author Dr Bastien Lechat, from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and the College of Medicine and Public Health.
"We found that 15% of all study participants, predominantly overweight men, snore more than 20% of the night on average, and this regular nighttime snoring is associated with high blood pressure and uncontrolled hypertension," says Dr. Leschat.
"These findings highlight the importance of considering snoring as a factor in the medical care and treatment of sleep-related problems, particularly in the context of hypertension management."
Snoring is a common condition that affects a large percentage of the population and is often underestimated in terms of its negative health effects. Snoring and sleep apnea often overlap, suggesting common causes.
"We found that in those who snore regularly, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension almost doubled. This risk almost doubled again in people who snore regularly and have sleep apnoea compared with those who do not snore regularly," says Professor Danny Eckert, director of the Flinders University Sleep Health Centre and senior author of the paper.
Snoring alone can also serve as an early warning sign of high blood pressure, as poor sleep quality due to snoring can worsen the risk of hypertension.
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure over a long period of time. It can lead to serious health problems such as heart failure, stroke, heart disease, or kidney disease.
The study used sleep tracker data collected by an under-mattress sensor to detect snoring and sleep apnea, as well as an FDA-registered home blood pressure monitor, in more than 12,000 participants worldwide over nine months.
"This is the largest study to date examining possible links between snoring, sleep apnea and hypertension using objective, home-based assessments, and it provides important insights into the possible implications of snoring for hypertension risk," says Dr. Leschat.
"It also highlights the need to consider snoring within clinical care and sleep management, particularly in the context of hypertension management.
"The results of this study pave the way for further investigation into whether therapeutic interventions targeting snoring can reduce hypertension and its associated risks," he adds.
If you experience snoring along with signs of insufficient sleep, excessive sleepiness, or observed breathing problems during sleep, it is recommended that you discuss it with your doctor or a specialist who may recommend a sleep study.