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Marietjie (MJ) Slabbert describes the unseen enemy, fatigue in critical care medicine. MJ does 24 hour shifts every other day with just three to four hours of sleep. Though many would claim that this is more than enough, MJ thinks otherwise. Physicians are killing themselves while trying to save others because fatigue kills. MJ points out that sleep is one of the basic necessities in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Fatigue often affects the go getters or type A personalities. Among doctors, the critical care and emergency doctors are at a higher risk of being fatigued. MJ points out the dangers of being fatigued. Driving while tired is as dangerous as drunk driving or speeding. Fatigue also puts patients at risk as it increases medical errors and safety compromising behaviour. Studies show that the response time of anaesthetists increased twenty times when they were sleep deprived. Fatigue is the number one problem faced by doctors and MJ wants us to wake up. Doctors are at a higher risk of getting cancer and th