TL;DR
To stop a Mac from sleeping, you can change the sleep settings in System Settings or Terminal. You can also change the sleep mode via System Settings and Terminal to suit your needs.
To prevent your Mac from sleeping when you close the lid, go to System Settings > Displays > Advanced and toggle on the Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off option.
Key Points
- Macs have different sleep modes: Standard Sleep, Safe Sleep, and Hibernate Mode.
- To turn off sleep mode, the steps vary based on the macOS version. For macOS Ventura, you can adjust sleep settings via System Settings > Lock Screen.
- You can use Terminal to turn off sleep mode temporarily.
- macOS Monterey and some earlier versions allow scheduling sleep and wake cycles.
- Continuously preventing sleep can consume more power and potentially reduce the Mac’s lifespan.
Ever had your Mac nod off in the middle of a movie or crucial task? Apple’s sleep settings are energy-savvy, but sometimes, we need our tech sidekicks to stay alert.
Dive into this guide to discover quick and easy ways to prevent your Mac from taking unscheduled naps. Whether it’s for an hour or indefinitely, I’ve got the secrets to keep your Mac lively and responsive. So, let’s see how to stop a Mac from sleeping.
Before We Begin
If you’re keeping your Mac awake for extended periods, consider refreshing its RAM now and then to ensure optimal performance. With MacKeeper, this process is a breeze. You can free up significant RAM on your Mac and keep your system working smoothly without lags.
Why Stop a Mac From Sleeping?
There are several reasons one might want to prevent a Mac from entering its sleep mode:
- 🎬 Continuous Workflows: Professionals like video editors, animators, or 3D modelers might have tasks that run for extended periods. Interrupting these processes can be detrimental to their work.
- ⬇️⬆️ Downloads & Uploads: If you’re downloading or uploading large files, you might want to ensure the process completes without the Mac going to sleep.
- 🖥️ Server Functions: If your Mac is set up as a server, it needs to be awake to respond to requests or manage tasks.
- 📊 Presentations: When showcasing a project or conducting a seminar, you wouldn’t want your Mac to sleep in the middle of your presentation.
- 📹 Monitoring: Continuous operation is essential for tasks like security camera monitoring or real-time data tracking.
- 🍿 Media Consumption: If you’re watching a long movie or listening to a playlist, preventing sleep ensures uninterrupted enjoyment.
- 🌐 Remote Access: If you access your Mac remotely, it needs to be awake for you to connect.
Remember that continuously preventing your Mac from sleeping can consume more power and potentially reduce lifespan. It’s always a good idea to strike a balance based on your needs.
What Are the Different Sleep Modes on Mac?
On a Mac, “sleep” isn’t just a singular state. There are different levels of sleep, each with its own characteristics. Here’s a breakdown of the various sleep modes on Mac:
| Sleep Mode | Description |
| 💤 Standard Sleep | – Most common sleep mode with low-power state. – RAM remains powered, retaining all unsaved contents. – Quick wake-up as current data is still in RAM. |
| 🛡️ Safe Sleep | – Combines features of Standard Sleep and Hibernate. – RAM remains powered for quick wake-up times. – Startup drive saves a copy of RAM’s data for data safety. |
| 🌑 Hibernate Mode | – RAM is powered down. – Startup drive saves all data from RAM before hibernation. – Wake-up takes longer as data is copied back to RAM from disk. |
When setting up your Mac’s energy preferences, it’s essential to understand these modes to optimize for performance, convenience, or energy conservation based on your needs.
To check your Mac’s sleep mode, follow these steps:
- Open Terminal on your Mac by searching for it in the Spotlight search.
- In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:
pmset -g | grep hibernatemode
- The Terminal will then display your Mac’s sleep mode:
- hibernatemode 0: Standard sleep
- hibernatemode 1: Hibernate mode (for pre-2005 MacBooks)
- hibernatemode 3: Safe sleep
- hibernatemode 25: Hibernate mode (for post-2005 MacBooks)
How to Turn Off Sleep Mode on Your Mac
Turning off your Mac’s sleep mode ensures your computer doesn’t go to sleep automatically. The steps to stop a Mac from sleeping differ for different macOS versions. Below, I’ve shared the steps to turn off sleep mode on macOS Ventura and some earlier versions.
On macOS Ventura
Follow these steps to change your Mac’s sleep settings on macOS Ventura:
- Click the Apple logo and select System Settings.
- Click the Lock Screen tab in the left sidebar.
- In the main panel, under the Lock Screen section, you’ll find several choices:
- Start Screen Saver when inactive
- Turn display off on battery when inactive
- Turn display off on power adapter when inactive
- Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off
Next to each option, there’s a dropdown menu. You can click it to:
- Pick a time: 1 minute to 3 hours.
- Change password settings: choose between 5 seconds to 8 hours.
- Select Never if you don’t want a timer.
On macOS Big Sur and Monterey
Here’s how to change sleep time on your Mac if you’re running macOS Big Sur or Monterey:
On Battery
- Navigate to the Apple logo at the top-left corner and select System Preferences.
- Click Battery.
- Slide the Turn display off after slider to the Never position.
On Power Adapter
- Click the Apple icon and select System Preferences.
- Select Battery.
- Choose Power Adapter from the left sidebar.
- Use the slider to set the time for the display to turn off, effectively preventing your Mac from automatically sleeping when the display is off.
macOS Catalina and Older
Here’s how to change sleep time on macOS Catalina and older versions:
- Navigate to the Apple logo at the top-left corner and select System Preferences.
- In System Preferences, locate and click Energy Saver.
- Drag the Turn display off slider to Never.
- Also, check the following boxes under the slider:
- Put hard disks to sleep when possible
- Slightly dim the display while on battery power
- Enable Power Nap while on battery power
How to Stop a Mac From Sleeping When Closing the Lid
Keeping a Mac awake even with the lid closed varies based on your macOS version. Here’s a guide to control this feature on macOS Ventura and its predecessors:
On macOS Ventura
- Click the Apple logo and choose System Settings.
- Click Displays in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down the right pane and click the Advanced button.
- Toggle on the Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off option.
- Click Done to save the changes.
On Older macOS Versions
- Click the Apple logo and select System Preferences.
- Go to Energy Saver.
- Check the Prevent your Mac from automatically sleeping when the display is off option to enable it.
How to Change a Sleep Mode on Your Mac
Changing the sleep mode on your Mac involves using the Terminal. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Open Terminal on your Mac by searching for it in the Spotlight search.
- To set a new sleep mode, use the following command and press Enter:
sudo pmset hibernatemode XReplace the X with the desired hibernatemode number.
Here are the commands for each mode:
Standard Sleep
sudo pmset hibernatemode 0Hibernate Mode (pre-2005 MacBooks)
sudo pmset hibernatemode 1Safe Sleep
sudo pmset hibernatemode 3Hibernate Mode (post-2005 MacBooks)
sudo pmset hibernatemode 25
- Terminal will prompt you for your administrator password (due to the sudo command). Type it in and press Enter.
You won’t see the characters as you type, but they are being entered.
- To ensure the sleep mode has been changed, you can run the following command again:
pmset -g | grep hibernatemodeIt should display the new mode you’ve set.
Remember, adjusting system settings can impact the behavior of your Mac. Always ensure you understand the implications of the changes you’re making. If you’re unsure, consult Apple’s official documentation or seek expert advice.
How to Temporarily Turn Off Sleep Mode on Your Mac Using Terminal
Terminal is a powerful tool that offers a plethora of commands that can tweak, adjust, and enhance your Mac experience. One such command is a lifesaver when you need to temporarily keep your Mac awake, bypassing the usual sleep settings.
Here’s how you can use the Terminal to turn off sleep mode on your Mac:
- Navigate to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal to open a Terminal window.
- Enter the following command and press Enter:
caffeinate -d
- If you want to keep your laptop awake for a certain amount of time, type the following command and press Enter:
caffeinate -t XHere, X is the number of seconds.
How to Schedule Sleep on Your Mac (macOS Monterey and Some Earlier Versions Only)
If you want to align your Mac’s sleep and wake cycles with your daily routine or simply want to conserve energy during idle hours, macOS Monterey, along with some of its predecessors, offers a handy scheduling feature.
Here’s how to tailor this feature to your needs:
- Click the Apple icon and choose System Preferences.
- Find and select the Energy Saver icon. You may see separate tabs labeled Battery and Power Adapter.
- Within the Energy Saver interface, click the Schedule tab on the left.
- You’ll see the options to:
- Start or wake: on weekdays, weekends, everyday, or on a specific day
- Sleep, restart, or shut down: on weekdays, weekends, everyday, or on a specific day
- After making your selections, click Apply.
Refresh Your Mac’s RAM With MacKeeper
Over time, your Mac can become slow, primarily due to cluttered RAM. Enter MacKeeper—a tool designed to keep your Mac safe and improve its performance. If your Mac is lagging or sluggish, refreshing its RAM might be the quick fix you need.
Here’s how to free up RAM on your Mac with MacKeeper:
- Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
- Open MacKeeper and click Memory Cleaner under the Performance tab.
- Click Open.
- Click Clean Memory.
- It will clean your Mac and free up available memory. You can see how much memory it freed under Last Cleanup.
What Else Can MacKeeper Do?
Besides freeing up RAM on your Mac, MacKeeper can perform various Mac maintenance tasks, like removing unwanted apps, deleting duplicate files, and keeping ads in check. If you want to learn more about its amazing features, read my detailed MacKeeper review.
Stop Your Mac From Sleeping
Now that you know how to stop a Mac from sleeping, you may want to learn a few more things about improving your Mac experience. Here are some more tips for you:
- If your Mac won’t turn on after waking up from sleep, there must be something wrong with the hardware.
- You can fix a frozen Mac by force-quitting problematic apps, restarting your Mac, resetting the SMC, or booting your Mac into Safe Mode.
- MacBook screen flickering often occurs due to software conflicts, GPU problems, loose internal cables, and SMC issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is sleep mode on a Mac?
Sleep mode on a Mac is an energy-saving state that conserves power by pausing active tasks and dimming the display. While in sleep mode, the Mac uses minimal energy but can quickly resume tasks when reactivated, ensuring efficient performance and battery longevity.
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Should I disable sleep mode on my Mac?
Disabling sleep mode on your Mac can be useful for specific tasks, but it’s generally not recommended for extended periods. Continuous operation can consume more power and potentially reduce your Mac’s lifespan. It’s best to use sleep mode judiciously to balance performance and device health.
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Why does my Mac not stay asleep?
Your Mac may not stay asleep due to active background processes, software updates, network activity, or connected peripherals. Checking Energy Saver settings and disconnecting external devices can help identify and resolve the issue. Ensure your macOS is updated to benefit from Apple’s latest fixes.
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Does a Mac sleep when its lid is closed?
Yes, by default, a Mac enters sleep mode when its lid is closed. This conserves battery and pauses active tasks. However, certain settings and external connections can modify this behavior. Always ensure data is saved before closing the lid to prevent potential loss.
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Is it bad to keep Mac on sleep?
No, keeping your Mac on sleep is not harmful. Apple designed sleep mode to conserve energy while preserving your session. It allows for a quick startup while using minimal battery power. However, periodically restarting can help refresh the system and address minor glitches.
