China's army recruits can look forward to a better night's sleep thanks to a new regulation banning chronic snorers from joining up.

One of a raft of physical and mental traits banned from the army, the new standards governing recruitment into China's military schools also blacklist drug-takers, tattoo-wearers and overweight applicants, Chinese newspapers reported on Monday.

"Given that chronic snorers' sounds disturb the life of others, a new regulation ... has been added," the Beijing Times newspaper quoted army official Li Chunming as saying.

Prominent tattoos are also banned in the 2.3-million-strong People's Liberation Army.

"Recruits with any marks, words or designs exceeding two centimetres in diameter on exposed parts of the body when wearing short sleeves -- and harm the army's image -- do not qualify," said the Beijing Times. "Tattoos on other parts of the body are limited to three centimetres."

Also on the hit-list are the short, the skinny and the fat. And applicants will sit written psychological tests and have their urine tested for evidence of drug-taking.

The purpose of the new regulations is to bring modern recruitment procedures tailored to the new youth of today's society, the Beijing Times said.

"Along with social and economic development and improvements in people's living standards, young people's physical and mental growth has experienced vast changes," the paper said.