How to Fix Windows 11 Sleep Mode Not Working

If your Windows 11 PC won’t go to sleep or wakes up unexpectedly, you’re not alone. Sleep mode is meant to save energy and keep your system ready in seconds, but when it breaks, it can be frustrating — and costly for battery life.

Here’s how to fix Windows 11 sleep mode not working, step by step.

1. Check Your Power & Sleep Settings

First, make sure your sleep settings are actually set to put the PC to sleep.

• Go to Settings > System > Power & battery.
• Under Screen and sleep, adjust the settings for On battery power and When plugged in.
• Choose a reasonable time (e.g., 10–15 minutes) for the PC to sleep.

If it’s set to Never, it won’t sleep — plain and simple.

2. Turn Off Wake Timers

Some apps and system processes can schedule “wake timers” that prevent your PC from staying asleep.

• Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
• Click Change plan settings next to your active power plan.
• Click Change advanced power settings.
• Expand Sleep > Allow wake timers.
• Set both options to Disable.

3. Stop Devices from Waking Your PC

Your mouse, keyboard, or network card might be waking your computer.

To find out what’s capable of waking it up:

powercfg -devicequery wake_armed

To prevent a device from waking your PC:

• Press Windows + X, choose Device Manager.
• Expand categories like Mice, Keyboards, or Network adapters.
• Right-click a device > Properties > Power Management tab.
• Uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer.

4. Check for Sleep Blockers

Some programs or drivers might be actively blocking sleep.

Open Command Prompt as admin and type:

powercfg /requests

This will list processes preventing sleep. You may need to close or update the app, or stop the service using:

powercfg /requestsoverride

(Use with caution.)

5. Update Windows and Drivers

Outdated drivers can cause sleep mode to malfunction.

• Go to Settings > Windows Update and check for updates.
• Open Device Manager, right-click critical components (Display Adapter, Network Adapter, etc.) > Update driver.

For GPU drivers, it’s best to download directly from Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD websites.

6. Run the Power Troubleshooter

Windows 11 has a built-in tool that might fix it for you.

• Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
• Find and run the Power troubleshooter.

7. Reset Your Power Plan

If your power settings got corrupted, reset them.

Open Command Prompt as admin:

powercfg -restoredefaultschemes

This resets all power plans to default. You’ll lose custom power settings, but it often solves weird sleep issues.

Final Tip: BIOS and Chipset Drivers

If none of the above worked, check your PC manufacturer’s website for BIOS or chipset updates. Sleep issues sometimes come down to low-level firmware.

Wrap-Up

Sleep mode not working on Windows 11 can be caused by anything from a rogue USB device to an old driver. Start simple with settings, then work your way down the list. With a bit of tweaking, your PC should be snoozing properly in no time.

Got any questions or tips that worked for you? Drop them in the comments below.