Frequent snoring is associated with higher odds of depression in US adults

Background and Objective Snoring occurs due to intermittent narrowing of the airway during sleep and may indicate more severe pathology, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Evidence of an independent relationship between snoring and depression is mixed. This study sought to estimate the association between self-reported snoring frequency and depression in a sample of US adults. Methods Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health), Wave V were analyzed cross-sectionally using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Interviews were conducted between March 2016 and November 2018. Marginal potential outcome means and population average treatment effects were estimated for the relationship between snoring and depression. Snoring was considered a multicategory treatment (1-2, 3-5, 6-7 nights per week) compared to the absence of snoring. Depression was defined by the cooccurrence of a depression diagnosis with recent symptoms. Results The sample included 4,106 individuals with a mean age of 36.9 years (95% CI: 36.8-37.0), 43% of whom were male. The primary IPTW model estimated an absolute effect attributable to snoring six or seven nights per week equal to 7.3% (95% CI: 1.2-13.4), which represents a relative increase in depression by 62.9% compared to not snoring. Less frequent snoring was not associated with depression. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate evidence of an association between depression and snoring at least six nights per week, although a direct causal link could not be established using this study design. Self-reported snoring frequency might be a useful tool for survey-based surveillance of the effects of sleep-disordered breathing.