TL;DR
Choose Sleep for a normal pause; it keeps your session open while using less power.
- Lock Screen secures the session without shutting down.
- Shut Down turns the Mac off; Restart closes and reopens macOS.
- Choose based on whether you need the session preserved or the Mac powered off.
You close the lid or step away, then see a dark display and wonder whether your Mac is asleep, locked, or simply showing a dark screen. Those are different actions.
If you’re looking up Mac sleep modes after that, start by separating the display, your locked session, and Sleep.
Current macOS settings let you choose when the display turns off and how the Mac responds to sleep and wake.
They do not ask you to pick among “Hibernate,” “Safe Sleep,” and “Standby” as everyday modes.
Apple’s sleep and wake guide describes Sleep as a lower-power state that leaves the Mac on and wakes faster than starting up after shutdown. Available controls depend on your Mac model.
Mac sleep modes: what each choice does
| Choice | What happens | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Display off | The screen turns dark after inactivity. The Mac can remain awake. | You want the display dark without shutting down; check Sleep separately if an app must keep running. |
| Lock Screen | Requires authentication before someone can use the open session, based on your password setting. | You are stepping away and want to protect the session now. |
| Sleep | The Mac stays on in a lower-power state; waking is quicker than starting from off. | You expect to return and want your apps and session ready. |
| Shut Down | The Mac turns off and must start again. Open apps close. | You want it off or will not use it for a while. |
| Restart | The Mac shuts down and starts again. Open apps close. | You need a normal restart after saving work, such as after an update or when troubleshooting calls for it. |
The display timer and the sleep action are not the same control. Apple puts display-off timing in System Settings > Lock Screen; choose separate times for battery and power-adapter use.
The password requirement is in that same pane. Apple explains Lock Screen options.
Put your Mac to sleep, lock it, or change the display timer
Put the Mac to sleep
- Choose Apple menu > Sleep. On a Mac laptop, closing the display also puts it to sleep in normal use.
- To wake it, open the display or press a key or click the mouse or trackpad. If you set a password requirement, unlock the Mac to continue.
If you only want to secure an open session, choose Apple menu > Lock Screen. That is not the same as shutting down: it locks access while leaving your session available after you unlock.
Apple documents Sleep and Lock Screen separately in its sleep and wake guide and Lock Screen settings.
Choose when the display turns off
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Lock Screen.
- Set Turn display off on battery when inactive and Turn display off on power adapter when inactive to the times you want. The available choices can vary by Mac.
These choices set display timing. They do not select Hibernate or a guaranteed sleep duration.
On a laptop, open System Settings > Battery > Options to review the separate option that can prevent automatic sleeping while connected to power with the display off, and the Wake for network access menu.
On a desktop Mac, related controls are under System Settings > Energy. See Apple’s sleep and wake settings, laptop Battery settings, and desktop Energy settings.
Use a MacBook with its display closed
A closed MacBook normally sleeps. If you want to keep using it with an external display and the lid closed, Apple’s guidance calls for a power source and an external keyboard and mouse.
The Mac and accessories must support the setup, and a newly connected accessory may need approval on Apple silicon. Follow Apple’s closed-lid display guidance and accessory connection instructions for your hardware.
If you only want the built-in screen dark while the Mac continues a task, leave the lid open and use the display timer or the supported power-adapter option.
Do not assume closing the lid will keep a download or other task running.
What Hibernate, Safe Sleep, Standby, and Power Nap mean
Older Intel-era articles use Hibernate, Safe Sleep, and Standby for related power-management behavior. Hibernate broadly describes saving a session to storage before a deeper power-down.
These terms don’t mean your Mac offers three separate modes in the Apple menu.
Safe Sleep preserves the current state so information can be recovered if the Mac fully shuts down during sleep, such as when its battery runs down. The Safe Sleep explanation describes this recovery behavior.
Standby was an automatic lower-power state on some older Macs. The older standby requirements apply to the notebooks listed there, running on battery with the specified external connections removed.
Don’t apply those model-specific conditions to every current Mac.
Power Nap is a separate legacy option. Apple’s Power Nap article says the option is available only on Intel-based Mac computers.
The current macOS 27 Battery settings guide does not present it as a general control for every Mac, so do not look for it on Apple silicon. Apple’s Intel-only Power Nap note.
Wake for network access can wake a Mac to share resources such as files or a printer. Enable it when you need that access; waking uses energy and does not follow a guaranteed interval. Laptops show the control under Battery > Options, while desktops use Energy. Apple’s sleep and wake settings explain the choices.
Choose Shut Down or Restart when you need the Mac off or refreshed
Choose Apple menu > Shut Down to turn the Mac off, or Apple menu > Restart to close and start macOS again. Save open documents first because apps close.
Let shutdown finish before closing a laptop display. Apple’s shutdown and restart steps explain both actions.
If the Mac wakes or loses battery overnight
Sleep reduces power use, but it doesn’t guarantee zero battery change. Check the sleep settings and whether network sharing is enabled. If the Mac won’t stay asleep, follow Apple’s sleep and wake troubleshooting.
That guide also covers USB or Thunderbolt devices that can prevent sleep.
For a laptop battery that drops more than you expect, compare the recent energy history in Battery settings.
Review the sleep settings for your Mac if you need it to stay awake while connected to power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to put a Mac to sleep or shut it down every night?
Sleep is the convenient choice when you plan to return to the same session; shut down when you want the Mac fully off or will not use it for a while.
Apple says a sleeping Mac stays on, uses much less power, and wakes faster than starting up after shutdown. Save open work before shutting down.
Does closing a MacBook lid put it to sleep?
Closing the display puts a Mac laptop to sleep in ordinary use.
A supported closed-lid external-display setup can keep the Mac available for that display when it has a power source and an external keyboard and mouse. See Apple’s closed-lid display requirements.
Does Sleep close my apps or documents?
Sleep leaves the Mac on, so your open session is there when you wake it. Save important work before making changes that close apps, such as shutting down or restarting.
Whether a document keeps unsaved edits depends on the app and its recovery behavior.
Is a Mac locked when it goes to sleep?
Sleep and locking are related but separate. Set a password requirement under System Settings > Lock Screen, or choose Apple menu > Lock Screen when you want to lock the Mac now.
The Mac can lock while the session stays open.
What do Hibernate, Safe Sleep, and Standby mean on a Mac?
They are technical or legacy sleep terms, not three modes you choose in current Mac settings.
Apple describes Safe Sleep as protecting information if the Mac fully shuts down during sleep, such as when its battery runs down. The exact power behavior depends on the Mac and its software.
Why did my MacBook battery drop overnight while it was asleep?
Sleep uses less power, but it doesn’t promise zero battery use. Check recent energy use in Battery settings.
If the Mac won’t stay asleep, Apple’s sleep and wake troubleshooting covers settings and connected accessories that can prevent sleep.
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