How to check which apps are keeping a Mac from sleep

7 min read 06-11-2024

How to check which apps are keeping a Mac from sleep

Have you ever left your Mac to rest, only to find it stubbornly awake hours later? This frustrating experience can be caused by various culprits, from rogue applications to system settings that have been inadvertently altered. Fortunately, identifying these culprits is often a simple process that can be achieved in a few steps.

Understanding Why Your Mac Won't Sleep

Before we delve into the methods for tracking down sleep-impeding apps, it's essential to grasp the underlying reasons why a Mac might resist entering sleep mode.

Here are a few common culprits:

Active Apps: Apps that continue to perform tasks in the background, such as downloading files, updating data, or running scheduled processes, can prevent your Mac from entering sleep.
System Settings: Certain system settings can unintentionally keep your Mac awake. For example, settings that allow your Mac to respond to network activity, or those that enable Wake on LAN, can interrupt sleep cycles.
Hardware Issues: While less common, faulty hardware, like a malfunctioning hard drive, can also trigger wake-up events and prevent the system from entering sleep mode.
Malicious Software: In rare cases, malware can exploit your system to keep it awake, potentially for nefarious purposes.

Methods to Identify Sleep-Preventing Apps on Your Mac

Now, let's explore the practical methods you can use to identify the culprit behind your Mac's sleeplessness.

1. Using Activity Monitor

Activity Monitor is a built-in macOS utility that provides a comprehensive overview of your system's processes and resource usage. It's a valuable tool for identifying resource-intensive apps, but it can also help you pinpoint apps that are preventing your Mac from entering sleep.

Here's how to use Activity Monitor:

Open Activity Monitor: You can access Activity Monitor in a few ways:
- Spotlight Search: Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight, type "Activity Monitor," and hit Enter.
- Launchpad: Open Launchpad, scroll down to the "Utilities" folder, and click on "Activity Monitor."
- Finder: Navigate to Applications > Utilities and double-click on "Activity Monitor."
Navigate to the "Energy" Tab: Once Activity Monitor is open, click on the "Energy" tab located at the top of the window.
Analyze Energy Usage: The "Energy" tab displays a list of apps and processes, along with their current energy impact. Focus on apps that have a high "Energy Impact" score.
Identify Suspects: Look for apps that seem unusually active, even when you're not actively using them. These apps might be responsible for preventing your Mac from sleeping.

Example: You may notice that a specific browser extension or a background sync service is consuming a significant amount of energy, even though you aren't actively using the browser.

Force Quit or Disable: Once you've identified a suspect, you can either force quit the app or disable it to see if it resolves the sleep issue.

Force Quit:

Select the app: Click on the app's row in the Activity Monitor window.
Click the "X" button: In the top-left corner of the window, click on the "X" button to force quit the app.

Disable:

Locate the app: Depending on the app, you may need to navigate to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items or System Preferences > Extensions to disable it.

Restart Your Mac: After force quitting or disabling an app, it's a good idea to restart your Mac to ensure the changes take effect.

2. Enabling "Prevent System Sleep" Logging

macOS provides a logging feature that allows you to see which apps or processes are preventing the system from entering sleep. This method is helpful for identifying specific events that interrupt the sleep cycle.

Here's how to enable logging:

Open Terminal: You can access Terminal through Spotlight search or by navigating to Applications > Utilities.
Enter the Command: Copy and paste the following command into the Terminal window and press Enter:
```
sudo log show --predicate 'processImagePath CONTAINS "/Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app"' --style syslog --info --start 1d --no-archive
```
This command will display a list of log entries from the past day that contain information about the "Activity Monitor" app. We're using Activity Monitor as an example, but you can replace it with the name of any other app or process you want to investigate.
Analyze the Log Entries: Carefully examine the log entries. Look for entries that mention "Preventing system sleep" or "Waking from sleep." These entries will provide information about the app or process that triggered the wake-up event.

Example: You may find a log entry stating that "Safari is preventing system sleep because it's actively downloading a file."

3. Using Third-Party Utilities

While macOS provides tools for identifying sleep-preventing apps, third-party utilities offer more comprehensive monitoring capabilities and provide insights that may be less obvious using built-in methods.

Here are some popular third-party utilities you can consider:

SleepWatch: This free application provides detailed information about sleep cycles, including the specific apps that prevented the Mac from entering sleep. It offers a user-friendly interface for analyzing the data.
iStat Menus: This versatile utility monitors various aspects of your Mac's performance, including energy consumption. It can identify apps that are using a significant amount of energy and might be responsible for preventing sleep.
Little Snitch: While primarily a firewall tool, Little Snitch can also help identify apps that are sending data to the internet, even when you aren't actively using them. This information can be crucial for determining if a particular app is keeping your Mac awake for networking purposes.

4. Checking System Settings

It's essential to review your Mac's system settings to ensure they aren't unintentionally preventing your Mac from sleeping.

Here are some settings to review:

Energy Saver: Go to System Preferences > Energy Saver. In this setting, you can:
- Configure sleep settings: Adjust how long it takes for your Mac to enter sleep mode when idle.
- Disable "Wake for network access": This setting allows your Mac to wake up from sleep to respond to network activity. If you don't need this feature, disable it.
- Disable "Wake for Wi-Fi network access": Similar to the previous setting, this allows your Mac to wake up for Wi-Fi-related activity. Disable it if it's not necessary.
Network: Go to System Preferences > Network. Here, you can:
- Check for Wake on LAN: This setting allows your Mac to wake up from sleep when it receives a network signal. Disable it if you don't need this feature.
Bluetooth: Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth. Here, you can:
- Check for connected devices: Ensure there are no Bluetooth devices connected that are actively communicating with your Mac, which could prevent it from sleeping.

5. Other Considerations

Even after reviewing system settings and using the methods outlined above, you may still be unable to identify the sleep-impeding app. Here are a few other factors to consider:

External Peripherals: Certain external peripherals, like printers or scanners, can keep your Mac awake due to their connection to the system. If you suspect an external device is causing the issue, try disconnecting it and see if the sleep issue resolves.
System Updates: A recent system update or app updates can sometimes introduce new sleep-related bugs. Consider reverting to an older version of the operating system or specific apps to see if the issue persists.
System Corruption: In rare cases, system corruption can lead to unexpected behavior, including the inability to enter sleep mode. You may need to perform a clean install of macOS to resolve this issue.

Troubleshooting Tips

Isolating the Issue: If you can pinpoint the exact time when your Mac starts to resist sleep, try using Activity Monitor or logging tools during that specific period.
Restarting Applications: Before force quitting an app, try restarting it to see if it resolves the issue. Sometimes a simple restart can resolve temporary glitches.
Disabling Background Tasks: Many apps offer settings to disable background tasks or synchronization. Try disabling these features to see if it improves sleep behavior.
Using a Second Account: If you suspect a user-specific issue, create a new user account and see if the sleep issue persists. This can help you isolate the problem to a particular user profile.

Conclusion

Identifying the apps that prevent your Mac from entering sleep can be a challenging task, but it's not insurmountable. By using the methods outlined in this article, you can effectively track down the culprit and regain control over your Mac's sleep cycles.

Remember, a little patience and perseverance can help you resolve this common Mac issue. The journey to a well-rested Mac starts with understanding the underlying causes, utilizing the right tools, and applying a systematic approach to troubleshooting.

FAQs

1. What are the most common culprits for Mac sleep issues?

The most common culprits for Mac sleep issues are active applications running in the background, system settings that enable features like wake-on-LAN, and external peripherals that communicate with the system.

2. How can I tell if an app is preventing my Mac from sleeping?

You can use the Activity Monitor's "Energy" tab to identify apps with a high energy impact. Additionally, enabling "Prevent System Sleep" logging can reveal specific log entries indicating which apps triggered wake-up events.

3. Is it safe to force quit an app?

While force quitting an app can be a quick solution, it's important to use it sparingly, as it can sometimes lead to data loss or application instability. If possible, try restarting the app first.

4. What if I can't find the app preventing my Mac from sleep?

If you can't identify the culprit using the methods mentioned above, try reviewing your system settings, checking for external peripherals, and ensuring that your Mac's operating system and apps are up-to-date. In rare cases, system corruption could be the cause, requiring a clean install of macOS.

5. Are there any general tips for improving Mac sleep behavior?

To improve Mac sleep behavior, ensure that system settings like "Wake for network access" and "Wake for Wi-Fi network access" are disabled if not needed. Also, consider disabling background tasks in applications that offer these options. Finally, make sure your Mac's operating system and apps are up-to-date.