Mac Not Going to Sleep? [7 Verified Fixes]

Do you put your Mac to sleep when you're not using it? It's an excellent way to save power without turning off your system. When your Mac is asleep, it's still on, but it uses much less power. Also, it takes less time to wake up from sleep than to start up your Mac.

If your Mac hasn't been used for a few minutes, it's better to put it to sleep and lock the screen. When you shut it down, you have to restart, which takes longer. Plus, you don't have to worry about any issues or errors that can occur during the boot process.

However, there are user reports of the sleep mode not working on a Mac, so the Mac won't go to sleep. This means that something is preventing the system from going to sleep or waking up.

Below are practical solutions to fix the “Mac won't go to sleep” issue:

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Mac Not Going to Sleep: Possible Reasons

Is your MacBook Pro / Air refusing to go to sleep? Many Mac users have reported issues with their Mac not sleeping. To find a solution, it's crucial to understand the reasons behind it. Here are the main causes behind your Mac not sleeping:

• ⚙️ Sleep Settings: This error can occur if you have modified or changed sleep settings on your macOS. You must check your settings to ensure that the sleep mode is enabled.
• ? Network Access Settings: If you're on a shared network, other users might remotely wake your Mac. Shared resources could cause this issue; you need to modify your network access settings to fix it.
• ? Sharing Settings: Shared services on your system might interfere with sleep mode. For instance, using a printer connected to your device can wake it up.
• ? Activity Monitor: Running processes in the background might prevent your Mac from going to sleep. You should check the Activity Monitor (the Mac Task Manager) to see if any processes are utilizing high CPU usage.

Solutions to Fix Mac Not Going to Sleep Issue

Several solutions can help fix the error of a Mac not going to sleep. Applying these fixes should resolve your issue. To assist you, we've provided a video.

• 00:32 - Access Energy Saver settings and set the timer
• 00:56 - Check for apps preventing your Mac from sleeping
• 01:41 - Investigate if Bluetooth is preventing sleep
• 02:13 - Check and clear print queues

Fix 1: Set the Sleep Settings Correctly

It's important to know that your Mac should go to sleep on its own after a certain amount of time, so if it isn't, then there might be an issue with your sleep settings.

The simplest way to fix a Mac that won't sleep is to check your sleep settings. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click the Apple icon.

Step 2. Select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Choose “Power Saver” or “Battery.”

Step 4: Here, you can set the times for both “Sleep” and “Display sleep.”

Note: Make sure that "Put the computer to sleep" and "Turn display off after" are not set to "Never." If you've updated your Mac to macOS Ventura, you won't find "Energy Saver settings."

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Fix 2: Prevent Bluetooth Devices from Waking Your Mac

You might not know this, but the Bluetooth settings allow your Mac to be awakened by certain devices, such as a mouse or keyboard connected via Bluetooth. To fix the issue, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click the Apple icon.

Step 2. Choose “System Preferences”/“System Settings.”

Step 3: Choose “Bluetooth.”

Step 4: Click “Advanced.”

Step five: Deselect “Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer.”

Note: If your system is not updated to macOS Ventura, you'll find this option.

Fix 3: Check Sharing Preferences

Macs allow users to share resources like printers and hard drives, but that can interfere with sleeping. Turn off sharing in System Preferences.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Click the Apple icon.

Step 2: Select “System Preferences” or “System Settings” from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: On the left, choose “General,” and then on the right, under Settings, choose “Sharing.”

Step 4: Here, you must uncheck the services you don't need.

Next up, we just need to translate this into American English:

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Solution 4: Use Activity Monitor to Find the Problem App

Some apps use a lot more CPU power than others. In addition to taking up most of your resources, these apps can also prevent your Mac from sleeping. You can use Activity Monitor to find these apps and force them to quit.

Doing so will require several steps:

Step 1: Open Activity Monitor. Click on “Applications” > “Utilities” > “Activity Monitor.”

Step 2: In Activity Monitor, click the “CPU” tab. Look through the list of apps and find any that are using an excessive amount of CPU resources.

Step 3: Choose your app.

Step 4. Click the cross in the top-left corner.

Next up, just translate the sentence into American English:

Step 5: Select “Log Out” or “Force Quit.”

Please note that force quitting an app can result in data loss on your Mac, such as losing changes made to a frozen Word document. In such cases, the quickest way to recover the document is by using a professional data recovery tool like the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

With the help of reliable Mac Data Recovery software, you can restore your files after an unexpected Mac shutdown with just a few clicks. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Launch the Mac Data Recovery Wizard and select the hard drive, SSD, SD card, USB flash drive, or TF card from which you lost your data. Click “Start to Find Lost Files” to begin scanning.

Step 2: The software will automatically scan your MacBook or iMac for lost data. After the scan is finished, you can filter the required data using the "Type" and "Path" buttons.

Step 3. Preview the file by double-clicking it, then hit the “Recover” button to restore your lost data to another location.

Fix 5: Disconnect peripheral devices

Another simple solution to fix a Mac that won't sleep is to unplug external devices. Sometimes, connected peripherals can cause this issue. In such cases, you need to disconnect them. The best approach is to unplug them one by one to identify which device is the culprit. Afterward, you'll need to replace the faulty peripheral.

Fix 6: Stop Spotlight from Indexing Files

There is no doubt that Spotlight is one of the best features of Mac, allowing users to search for files, open apps, and more. However, if Spotlight continues to index files on your internal drive, your device will be unable to go to sleep. If you have many files to index, it can take hours.

To prevent Spotlight from indexing files, you must take the following steps:

Step 1: Open the Terminal.

Step 2: Type sudo mdutil -i off.

Step 3: Press the "Enter" key.

Fix 7: Reset the NVRAM/PRAM and SMC

Lastly, you can try resetting the NVRAM/PRAM and SMC to see if it resolves the issue where your Mac won't go to sleep. Follow the steps to reset the NVRAM/PRAM:

Step one, turn off the device.

Step two: Press the power button.

Step 3: Press and hold “Command-Option-P-R.”

Release both keys when you hear the startup sound twice.

For T2-based Macs, release the keys when you see the Apple logo appear and disappear twice.

For instructions on SMC reset for a Mac with a T2 chip, see Reset the SMC on a Mac with a T2 security chip.

Step one: Power down the device.

Step 2: Hold down the Power button.

Step 3: Restart the system.

If it does not work, shut the system down.

Step 5: Hold down the left “Option,” right “Shift,” and left “Control” keys.

Step 6. Hold down the Power button.

Step 7: Release all buttons, and then restart your device.

Conclusions

If you don't plan on using your Mac for the next few hours, it's best to put it to sleep. However, there are several reasons why your Mac might not be able to go to sleep, including incorrect sleep settings, sharing network access settings, and more. Learning about these causes will help you apply the right solution.

To resolve this issue, you can try several solutions. First, check your sleep settings. You can also examine your Bluetooth or Sharing preferences. However, note that an app crashing can lead to data loss; using a tool like Mac Data Recovery Wizard can help.

"Frequently Asked Questions: Mac Not Going to Sleep"

For more information about "Your Mac won't go to sleep," see these questions and answers:

1. Why doesn't my MacBook go to sleep when I close it?

There could be multiple reasons why your Mac is unable to enter sleep mode when you shut it down, such as resource-intensive applications running, system errors, damaged external devices, or incorrect sleep settings.

2. How do I put my Mac to sleep?

You have to click the Apple logo, then choose “Sleep” from the drop-down menu to put your MacBook to sleep.

Question 3: Why is my Mac asleep but still running?

Your Mac is in sleep mode but still running, which is normal. While in sleep mode, your Mac continues to run, but with much reduced power consumption. It will also use a bit of network resources, so it can be easily awakened if you need to work with it.

4. How can I prevent my Mac from sleeping and keep it turned on? To stop your Mac from going to sleep, follow these steps: 1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, and select "System Preferences." 2. In the "System Preferences" window, click on "Energy Saver" or "Power Adapter" (if you have a MacBook). 3. In the "Energy Saver" window, you'll see two tabs, one for battery use and another for power adapter. Make sure you're looking at the correct tab, which should be "Power Adapter" when plugged in. 4. Deselect the checkboxes next to "Sleep" or "Put the display to sleep" to prevent your Mac from automatically sleeping or entering the screensaver mode after a period of inactivity. 5. If you want to completely disable sleep, open Terminal by searching for it in Spotlight or finding it in the Applications > Utilities folder. Then, enter the following command: ``` sudo pmset -a sleep 0 ``` Enter your administrator password, and this will set your Mac not to sleep automatically. However, note that avoiding sleep may lead to decreased performance and shorter battery life. Adjust these settings as needed to balance your work requirements and personal preferences. To revert to the default settings, simply re-enter the "Energy Saver" settings and re-enable the relevant options. In Terminal, you can use `sudo pmset -a sleep 30` (or another time) to restore the normal sleep settings.

You should go to System Preferences > Energy Saver to prevent your Mac from sleeping in the first place. There, you can set both “Computer Sleep” and “Display Sleep” to “Never.”