A student who was kicked out of university after falling asleep in exams suffers from Sleeping Beauty Syndrome.

Bizarre on Female First

Bizarre on Female First

Rhoda Rodriguez-Diaz was asked to leave De Montfort University in Leicester last year after missing several coursework deadlines and falling asleep during vital tests but she's now been allowed back after being diagnosed with the rare Kleine-Levin Syndrome - which is also nicknamed after the fairytale - by doctors last September.

At the condition's worst, the 21-year-old woman has slept for up to three weeks, waking up to only eat, drink and go to the toilet.

She said: ''Life goes on whilst I'm sleeping. Reality hits me when I wake up and realise I've missed like a week of my life.

''I feel a huge setback when it does happen. I miss out on so much. That's the hardest part of it. It's hard to explain to people where I have been.''

The exact cause of Sleeping Beauty Syndrome is unknown but it is thought to relate to a malfunction of the part of the brain which regulates sleep, appetite and body temperature and other symptoms can include excessive eating and changes in behaviour such as an abnormal sex drive.