How to Schedule Sleep and Wake Times for Your Mac - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Schedule Sleep and Wake Times for Your Mac

by

If you frequently forget to turn off your Mac at night, you may find its built-in sleep scheduling feature useful.

schedule macOS
Using this Energy Saver option, you can set your Mac to automatically go to sleep at a particular time each day, on weekdays, weekends, or only on specific days.

You can also set your Mac to start up, so it's ready and waiting for you to get to work in the morning. To schedule sleep and/or wake times in macOS, simply follow these steps.

  1. Launch System Preferences from your Mac's Dock, from the Applications folder, or from the Apple menu bar ( -> System Preferences...).
  2. Select Energy Saver in the preferences pane.
    sys prefs

  3. Click the Schedule button at the bottom of the pane.
    sys prefs

  4. Check the box next to Start up or wake. You can also use the Sleep dropdown to schedule a Sleep, Restart, or Shut Down time if desired.
  5. For each scheduled behavior, choose Weekdays, Weekends, Every Day, or a specific day. Then choose a time of day for each selected option.energy saver

  6. Click OK.

That's all there is to it. Your Mac will now automatically enter sleep on the days and times you selected. To disable the feature, just return to the Energy Saver preference panel and uncheck the checkbox next to Startup and/or Sleep/Restart/Shut Down.

Popular Stories

Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

12 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday June 18, 2026 2:17 am PDT by
We're only three months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a ...
Apple Watch Ultra Orange Alpine Loop Action button 220907 big

Apple Explains Why watchOS 27 Drops Support for So Many Models

Friday June 19, 2026 6:07 am PDT by
Apple today detailed why five Apple Watch models will miss out on watchOS 27 and the new Siri AI features that come with it. The Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, SE 2, and the original Apple Watch Ultra will not receive watchOS 27, and will only get basic security updates going forward. With the update, Apple is effectively dropping three years' worth of device support in a single software...
Rivian Explains Why CarPlay Debate Will Become Completely Obsolete Feature

iOS 27 Adds Major New Feature to CarPlay

Wednesday June 17, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Last year, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the company finally provided more specific details about this functionality at WWDC 2026. In a WWDC 2026 video aimed at developers, Apple said the CarPlay video feature is available in new vehicles that support it. When playing a video in an...