By default, Windows 11 computers go to sleep after a certain period of time. If you want to adjust your computer’s sleep delay (or turn it off completely), it’s easy to do so in the settings. Here’s how.
sleep vs screen off
In Windows 11, sleeping and turning off the screen are two different (but related) things. If you put your computer to sleep, it goes into a low power mode which temporarily turns off certain parts of the device to save power. While you sleep, your computer screen will also turn off.
In Windows 11, you also have the option to turn off your computer screen while keeping your computer awake in the background. This means that you will save some power that your monitor normally uses (or increase your monitor’s life), but your computer will still be able to perform background tasks when necessary.
Related: Should you turn your laptop off, sleep, or hibernate?
How to set sleep delay on your computer in Settings
To change how long your PC takes to sleep, first launch Settings by pressing Windows + i on your keyboard. Or right-click on the Start button and select Settings from the menu that appears.
In Settings, click “System” in the sidebar, then select “Power and Battery.”
In the power and battery options, if the “Screen and sleep” section is closed, expand it with a single click. The menu will reveal several options. If you have a battery-powered laptop or tablet, you’ll see four of them. If you have a desktop computer, you will see only two options.
To adjust how long your laptop takes to sleep, click the drop-down menu next to “On battery power, put my device to sleep afterwards” and select a time period, such as “15 minutes.” You can also choose Never to turn sleep mode off completely when running on battery power.
Similarly, to change the sleep delay when you plug in your computer, use the drop-down menu labeled “When plugged in, put my device to sleep next” and choose a time. If you don’t want your computer to ever go to sleep, choose Never.
Above sleep options On the same settings page, you can use the Turn off screen after options to set a time limit for when your screen will turn off, regardless of sleep.
After that, close Settings. Your changes have already been saved. If you select a specific time for any of the options, your computer will either turn off its screen or go to sleep after that time period. sweet Dreams!
Related: How to make your Windows 11 PC never sleep
