Mac won't sleep or wakes up by itself? 8 things to check

howtosimply.com/guides/mac-won-t-sleep-or-wakes-up-by-itself-8-things-to-check/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.0.1

5 of 8 steps with real screenshots · 2 official sources below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)

App

System Settings

Real screenshots

5 of 8 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

2 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Check the display-off times

   Open System Settings and click Lock Screen.

   Set Turn display off on battery when inactive and Turn display off on power adapter when inactive to a few minutes.

   On our MacBook Neo they were set to For 2 minutes and For 10 minutes.

   Done

2. 

   MacBook: check the Battery options

   Click Battery in the sidebar, then click Options… at the bottom right of the Battery page. A sheet opens with Slightly dim the display on battery at the top.

   Switch off Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off. On our MacBook Neo this switch was on.

   Done

3. 

   Set Wake for network access to Never

   In the same sheet, click the menu next to Wake for network access and choose Never. The menu offers Always, Only on Power Adapter and Never; ours was set to Only on Power Adapter.

   If macOS asks for Touch ID or your password, confirm. Then click Done.

   Done

4. 

   Switch off sharing you do not need

   Open System Settings, General, Sharing.

   Services such as File Sharing and Printer Sharing let other computers use your Mac. Switch off the ones you do not use. On our MacBook Neo every switch on this page was off.

   Done

5. 

   Look for a busy app

   Open Activity Monitor from the Utilities folder in Applications, click CPU, then click the % CPU column to sort by it.

   An app at the top with a high percentage keeps the Mac working; quit it. On our idle MacBook Neo, CPU LOAD showed Idle at 93,60 %.

   Done

6. Let Spotlight finish

   After an update or after connecting a new drive, Spotlight builds its search index. Apple notes this can take several hours, and the Mac does not sleep during that time.

   Done

7. Unplug external devices

   Apple says a USB or Thunderbolt drive or other device can stop the Mac from sleeping or wake it up. Unplug them and see whether the Mac now sleeps.

   Done

8. Check for accidental touches

   Apple lists a key press, a moving mouse or a touch on the trackpad as things that wake the Mac. Keep a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard still or switched off.

   Done

If you do not see this option

• Wake for network access is not on the Battery page It sits in the sheet that opens when you click Options… at the bottom right of the Battery page.
• There is no Battery in the sidebar Apple says on a desktop Mac the Wake for network access setting is under System Settings, Energy. Source: If your Mac sleeps or wakes unexpectedly
• Sharing is not in the sidebar Sharing is inside General. You can also type Sharing into the Search field at the top of the sidebar.

If this does not work

• Wake for network access goes back to its old value If macOS asks for Touch ID or your password, confirm it. If you cancel, the setting may stay as it was.
• Activity Monitor shows only a few processes The window subtitle should read All Processes, as on our MacBook Neo, so that background processes are listed too.
• The Mac stays awake after an update or a new drive Apple says Spotlight indexing can take several hours and the Mac does not sleep until it is done. Wait and try again. Source: If your Mac sleeps or wakes unexpectedly
• An app shows Yes under Preventing Sleep. Open Activity Monitor and click Energy. Apple describes the Preventing Sleep column as whether this app is preventing your Mac from going to sleep. Quit that app or stop what it is playing or copying. Source: View energy usage in Activity Monitor on Mac
• The Mac wakes while nobody is using it. Apple names key presses and mouse or trackpad clicks, and other users waking the Mac remotely to use its shared resources. Set Wake for network access to Never and switch off sharing you do not use. Source: If your Mac sleeps or wakes unexpectedly
• It stays awake for hours after an update or a new drive. Spotlight is probably indexing. Apple says indexing can take several hours, depending on the number of files, and the Mac does not sleep meanwhile. Source: If your Mac sleeps or wakes unexpectedly
• It sleeps once a drive or device is unplugged. Apple says a malfunctioning USB or Thunderbolt device can keep the Mac awake. Reconnect them one at a time to find it, then contact its maker. Source: If your Mac sleeps or wakes unexpectedly
• Nothing above helps. Update macOS and start up in safe mode to see whether startup software is the cause. Apple also says to reset the SMC on an Intel Mac; on a Mac with Apple silicon, restart it instead. Source: If your Mac sleeps or wakes unexpectedly

About this guide

A Mac stays awake, or wakes itself, when an app, a connected device or another computer is using it. Work through these checks in Apple's order.

Screenshots: MacBook Neo, macOS 27.0.1, dark mode.

Good to know

If the Mac still misbehaves, update macOS and restart.

To find out whether software that starts with the Mac is the cause, try how to start a Mac in safe mode.

For the opposite wish, a Mac that stays awake on purpose, see how to stop a Mac from going to sleep.

In short: System Settings > Lock Screen > Battery > Options… > Wake for network access > General > Sharing > Activity Monitor > CPU