Health experts have warned that feeling exhausted due to a lack of sleep could be a sign of a serious underlying medical condition. However, many women are unaware of the dangers, with only a quarter seeing a doctor about sleeplessness. Professor John Stradling of Oxford University said: "Often women think that feeling exhausted is just part of modern life when in fact it could be something more serious." He added that not treating sleep deficiency, "leaves women at risk of reduced quality of life and serious health conditions". In more severe cases, when left untreated, conditions like sleep apnoea can kill people because it can bring on heart attacks and strokes.