How to change sleep settings on Windows 11

You can always choose when your computer goes into sleep mode, and here's how on Windows 11.

Windows 11 change sleep settings
Windows 11 change sleep settings
  • To change the Windows 11 sleep settings, open Settings > System > Power & battery, click the “Screen and sleep” settings, and choose when to turn off the display and when to put the computer to sleep.
  • You can also disable the sleep settings by selecting the Never option.

Windows 11 has an option that automatically sends the device into sleep mode after some time of inactivity to preserve energy and extend battery life on laptops, and in this guide, you will learn the steps to customize the feature.

The power option includes two settings, one to put the device into a low-power state (sleep) that shuts down the system but keeps the content running in memory, and another option to turn off the screen while keeping the computer running in the background.

Typically, the default settings are the optimal configuration for most users to save energy and carbon footprint while extending battery life. However, if you prefer to keep the device running longer or want to prevent it from entering the sleep low-power state mode, Windows 11 allows you to change the time for the screen and sleep.

This guide will teach you the steps to change the sleep timeout to control when your laptop or desktop computer should enter into sleep mode. In addition, we’ll outline the steps to disable the feature to prevent the device from sleeping automatically.

Change sleep settings on Windows 11

To change sleep settings on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click the Power & battery tab.

  4. Under the “Power” section, click the “Screen and sleep” setting.

  5. Choose how long the computer should wait before turning off the screen.

    Change sleep times

  6. Choose how long the computer should wait before going to sleep.

Once you complete the steps, the computer will go into sleep mode or turn off the screen according to your configuration.

If you have a desktop computer, the Settings entry will appear as “Power,” and you will only find the settings to control the times when the device is plugged in. 

Stop computer from sleeping on Windows 11

To prevent the computer and screen from sleeping automatically on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click the Power & battery tab.

  4. Under the “Power” section, click the “Screen and sleep” setting.

  5. Choose the Never option to prevent the screen from turning off automatically.

    Disable sleep times

  6. Choose the Never option to prevent the computer from going to sleep automatically.

After completing the steps, the computer will stop automatically entering sleep mode, even if you are not actively working on the device.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].