How to Set up a Windows 11 PC to Automatically Go to Sleep

This practical guide walks through how to set up a Windows 11 PC to automatically go to sleep, explains the main requirements, and highlights common issues that may appear along the way.

Sleep mode and screen off

In Windows 11, sleep mode and screen off, though related and similar, are essentially two completely different concepts. If you put your PC to sleep, the system will go into 'idle' operation at low power consumption, as well as temporarily turn off some hardware components to save power. Of course the screen will also turn off when the PC is in sleep mode.

But on Windows 11, you also have the option to turn off the screen, but still keep the PC running in the background. That means you'll only save some of the power your monitor uses, but your PC will still be essentially running at full power, and can perform background tasks as needed.

How to Set Up Your PC to Automatically Go to Sleep

First, launch the Windows Settings app by pressing Windows + i on your keyboard. Or you can right-click the Start button on the taskbar and select 'Settings' from the menu that appears.

In the Settings interface, click 'System' in the list on the left, then click 'Power & Battery'.

In the Power & Battery settings screen, steam to expand the 'Screen and Sleep' section. If your PC is battery powered, such as a laptop or tablet, you'll see a total of 4 setup options. In case you use desktop, there will be only 2 options.

To adjust how long your laptop or tablet goes to sleep, click the drop-down menu next to 'On battery power, put my device to sleep after'. Then choose a time period that you want, such as '15 minutes'.

Similarly, to set the time when the PC automatically goes to sleep when it is plugged in (without using the battery), click the 'When plugged in, put my device to sleep after' drop-down menu and select a landmark. time.

Alternatively, you can also use the 'turn my screen off after' option to choose how long the screen automatically turns off when inactive (regardless of sleep mode).

Once you're done customizing, close Settings and the changes you make are automatically saved