Windows 11 Not Going to Sleep How to Fix It

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Windows 11 Not Going to Sleep How to Fix It

You set the PC to sleep after 15 minutes, but the screen stays on all night, or the PC goes to sleep and wakes itself up a few minutes later. Something is either blocking sleep or waking the PC. Windows can tell you exactly which, so you don't have to guess.

(If your PC shuts down completely when it should sleep, that's a different problem: see Windows shuts down instead of sleeping.)

Step 1: Check the Sleep Settings

Open Settings > System > Power & battery (on desktops: Power).
Expand Screen, sleep & hibernate timeouts (called Screen and sleep on older versions).
Make sure the "put my device to sleep after" options are not set to Never.

Our guide to screen timeout in Windows explains the difference between turning off the screen and sleep.

Then test: select Start > Power > Sleep. If the PC sleeps fine when you do it by hand, but not on its own timer, something is blocking automatic sleep (Step 2). If it wakes itself up again, go to Step 3.

Step 2: Find What Blocks Sleep

Right-click Start and choose Terminal (Admin) (or run Command Prompt as administrator).
Run:

powercfg /requests

The output has sections such as DISPLAY, SYSTEM, AWAYMODE and EXECUTION. Each shows None or the program or driver that is keeping the PC awake. Common ones:

A browser (for example chrome.exe or msedge.exe) with an audio or video stream playing. Close the tab or pause it.
Media apps, games or remote-access software that keep the screen on while they run.
A driver such as an audio device ([DRIVER] entries) that holds an open audio stream. Restart the PC, and update or reinstall that driver if it keeps appearing.
Downloads, backups or sync apps that are busy. Let them finish or pause them.

Once you've closed the cause, run the command again. When every section says None, automatic sleep should work.

Step 3: Find What Wakes the PC

In the same window, run:

powercfg /lastwake

It shows what woke the PC last time. Then list the devices that are allowed to wake it:

powercfg /devicequery wake_armed

And scheduled wake timers:

powercfg /waketimers

Stop a Device From Waking the PC

Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
Open the device from the list (for example your mouse under Mice and other pointing devices, or your network card under Network adapters).
On the Power Management tab, clear Allow this device to wake the computer, and select OK.

Keep this ticked for the keyboard if you like to wake the PC with a key press. Sensitive mice and network adapters are the most common unwanted wakers.

Turn Off Wake Timers

Scheduled tasks (for example maintenance or updates) can wake the PC.

Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
Next to your plan, select Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
Expand Sleep > Allow wake timers and set it to Disable (or Important Wake Timers Only). Select OK.

Windows also runs automatic maintenance that can wake the PC. In Control Panel, open System and Security > Security and Maintenance, expand Maintenance, select Change maintenance settings and clear Allow scheduled maintenance to wake up my computer at the scheduled time.

Step 4: Check Network and Sharing Settings

In the same Advanced power settings window, check Multimedia settings > When sharing media. If it's set to Prevent idling to sleep, change it to Allow the computer to sleep. Media sharing to a TV or another PC otherwise keeps it awake.

Step 5: Update and Reset the Power Plan

Open Settings > Windows Update and install all updates, including Advanced options > Optional updates for drivers.
Check your PC maker's support page for chipset, graphics and BIOS updates. Keep a laptop plugged in during a BIOS update.
Reset the power plan to its defaults: in Power Options > Change plan settings, select Restore default settings for this plan.

Modern Standby Laptops

Many newer laptops use Modern Standby: in sleep they stay partly connected, like a phone. powercfg /a shows Standby (S0 Low Power Idle) if yours does. On these laptops some network activity in sleep is normal. If the battery drains a lot overnight, use Hibernate or shut down instead; our guide to laptop battery draining fast on Windows 11 shows how to add Hibernate to the power menu and read the battery report.

Still Won't Sleep?

Start the PC in Safe Mode and try sleep there. If it works in Safe Mode, a program or driver that starts with Windows is the cause; turn off startup apps in Settings > Apps > Startup one by one to find it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I find out what is keeping Windows 11 awake?

Open an administrator Command Prompt and run powercfg /requests. It lists the apps, drivers and services currently blocking sleep or the display from turning off.

Why does my PC wake up from sleep by itself?

Usually a mouse, keyboard or network adapter is allowed to wake it, or a scheduled task uses a wake timer. Run powercfg /lastwake to see what woke it last, and powercfg /waketimers to see scheduled wakes.

Can a mouse stop Windows from sleeping?

A sensitive optical mouse can pick up tiny movements and wake the PC. In Device Manager, open the mouse, select the Power Management tab and clear Allow this device to wake the computer.

Can media playback keep Windows awake?

Yes. A video or music tab in the browser, or a game or streaming app, asks Windows to stay awake while it plays. Close or pause it and check powercfg /requests again.