The fastest way to keep your computer awake

The quickest fix is to change your power settings in Windows or macOS so the computer does not sleep after a period of inactivity. On Windows, open Settings, go to System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep, and set "Screen times out after" and "Sleep" to "Never". On macOS, open System Settings, go to General > Login Items & Extensions, then Energy Saver, and uncheck "Put display to sleep when inactive".

If you need the computer to stay awake only while you are using it, you can also use keyboard shortcuts or mouse movement to wake it up each time it falls asleep. The simplest method is to press any key or move the mouse when you notice the screen has gone dark.

For temporary situations — like watching a video or giving a presentation — you do not need to change your settings permanently. Instead, use a built-in tool or third-party program that keeps the computer awake for as long as you need it, then lets it return to normal sleep behavior when you are done.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows users can prevent sleep by opening Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep and setting both timeouts to "Never".
  • macOS users should go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions > Energy Saver and uncheck "Put display to sleep when inactive".
  • For temporary situations, use the Caffeine tool on macOS or Don't Sleep on Windows instead of changing permanent settings.
  • If your computer is set to sleep but you want to use it, pressing any key or moving the mouse will wake it when ready.
  • Disabling sleep entirely can increase power consumption and wear on your hardware, so use temporary tools when possible.

How to change sleep settings in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings", then click the app when it appears. Once Settings is open, click System on the left side, then scroll down and click Power & battery.

Under "Screen and sleep", you will see two dropdown menus. The first says "Screen times out after" — click it and select "Never". The second says "Sleep" — click it and also select "Never". Your computer will now stay awake indefinitely when plugged in or running on battery, depending on which setting you changed.

If you want the screen to turn off to save power but the computer to keep running, set "Screen times out after" to a time like 5 or 10 minutes, but leave "Sleep" set to "Never". This way the display goes dark but your programs keep running in the background.

How to change sleep settings on macOS

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings. In the sidebar, click General, then scroll down and click Login Items & Extensions. In the main panel, look for the Energy Saver section and click it.

You will see a checkbox that says "Put display to sleep when inactive". Uncheck this box. Your Mac will now keep the display on and the computer awake. If you want to save battery life, you can instead set a custom time — some versions of macOS let you choose how many minutes before the display sleeps, while the computer itself stays awake.

Using temporary tools to keep your computer awake without changing settings

If you do not want to change your permanent power settings, you can use a program that keeps your computer awake for a set amount of time, then lets it return to normal sleep behavior. On macOS, Caffeine is a free tool that sits in your menu bar and prevents sleep with one click. On Windows, Don't Sleep is a free program that does the same thing.

These tools are useful when you are watching a video, giving a presentation, or downloading a large file and do not want the screen to go dark or the computer to pause. Once you close the program or turn off the feature, your computer returns to its normal sleep schedule.

Another option is to use your keyboard or mouse to keep the computer awake. Some programs, like Jiggler on Windows, move your mouse cursor slightly every few seconds so the computer thinks you are still using it. This method uses very little power and does not require you to change any settings.

Why your computer goes to sleep and when you might want to disable it

Computers are set to sleep by default to save power and reduce wear on the hardware. When a computer sleeps, it uses far less electricity than when it is running normally, which lowers your energy bill and extends the life of components like the hard drive and battery.

You might want to disable sleep if you are downloading large files, rendering video, running backups, or using your computer as a server that needs to stay available. You might also disable it temporarily if you are giving a presentation and do not want the screen to go dark in the middle of it.

However, leaving your computer awake all the time will increase your electricity use and can shorten the lifespan of your hardware. For this reason, it is usually better to use a temporary tool like Caffeine or Don't Sleep rather than changing your permanent settings, unless you have a specific reason to keep your computer awake at all times.

What to do if your computer will not stay awake even after changing settings

If you have changed your sleep settings to "Never" but your computer still goes to sleep, check whether another program is overriding your settings. Some antivirus software, backup programs, and system utilities can force the computer to sleep regardless of your power settings.

Open your power settings again and look for an "Additional power settings" or "Advanced" option. Some versions of Windows and macOS have a second layer of power settings that can override the main ones. If you find conflicting settings, change them all to "Never" or "Never sleep".

You can also check your BIOS or firmware settings, though this is less common. Restart your computer and look for a message that says "Press F2" or "Press Delete" to enter Setup. Once inside, look for a power management section and make sure it is not set to force sleep. If you are not comfortable in the BIOS, leave this step and try the other solutions first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling sleep damage my computer?

Leaving your computer awake all the time will not damage it, but it will use more electricity and can shorten the lifespan of components like the hard drive and battery. For this reason, it is better to use a temporary tool like Caffeine when you need the computer to stay awake for a few hours, and return to normal sleep settings when you are done.

Can I set different sleep times for when the computer is plugged in versus on battery?

Yes. On Windows, go to Power & battery and you will see separate settings for "Plugged in" and "On battery". You can set the computer to never sleep when plugged in but sleep after 10 minutes on battery. On macOS, the Energy Saver settings explore to both plugged-in and battery modes, but you can create separate power profiles if you need different behavior.

What if I want the screen to turn off but the computer to stay awake?

Set the screen timeout to a shorter time like 5 or 10 minutes, but set the sleep timeout to "Never". On Windows, these are two separate dropdowns in Power & battery. On macOS, you can set the display to sleep while the computer stays awake in the Energy Saver settings.

Does using a tool like Caffeine use a lot of power?

No. Tools like Caffeine use very little power because they straightforward prevent the sleep command from being sent to the operating system. They do not keep your CPU running at full speed or prevent the screen from dimming, so the power draw is minimal compared to disabling sleep entirely in your settings.

How do I wake up my computer if it has already gone to sleep?

Press any key on the keyboard or move the mouse. On some computers, you may need to press a specific key like the spacebar or Enter. If the computer does not wake up, press the power button once — do not hold it down, as that will shut the computer off instead.