Shutting down your Mac V/s letting it sleep: What should you do?

Macs have been the go-to solution for individuals who wish to perform demanding computational tasks with ease for many years now. Ever since the first iMac came out in 1998, the popularity of powerful devices has steadily increased. Currently, Apple offers numerous variants of the Mac, each of which has its specialties. Furthermore, the latest chips in the new Macs offer out-of-the-world performance. According to Screen Rant, Apple’s M1 Silicon Chip is the most powerful desktop chip globally.

Besides having powerful hardware, Macs also feature top-tier software that makes them stand out. macOS, the powerful operating system, offers exceptional features that facilitate users with multiple features like continuity across devices, seamless file sharing, a safe and secure working environment, etc. The integration between the software and hardware makes Macs so powerful that users can conveniently put their Mac to sleep instantly and turn it on again within seconds to continue working without facing lag or stutters. However, is putting a Mac to sleep better than shutting it down? Well, using utilizing the sleep feature is better than completely shutting down the Mac. This article will cover what sleep mode is and the benefits of using a Mac to sleep. Let us get started.

What is Mac’s Sleep Mode?

When a Mac is left on standby mode, its display gets dim. After a while, the dimmed display is replaced by a screensaver. The screensaver stays on for approximately 10 minutes, and then the screen turns completely black. The Mac does not shut down, i.e., it simply goes into a hibernated state. This is known as the Sleep Mode. In this mode, the processes keep running in the background. It is a great way of saving battery without hampering work. It is a default functionality of macOS, which is very useful.

Even though the feature is very helpful, you may not want to keep it on all the time. If you are wondering how to turn off sleep mode on Mac, there are numerous ways following which you can do so. For starters, if your MacBook is running macOS Big Sur or Monterey, you can navigate to the “Battery” settings and enable the toggle “Prevent your Mac from Automatically Sleeping when the display is off”. On the other hand, if your Mac is running macOS Catalina or any older version, you can navigate to the “System Preferences” section, open “Energy Saver,” and adjust the slider for setting inactivity time as per your preferences. Besides using macOS native settings, you can also use third-party applications to access more Sleep Mode-related options. For instance, Lungo is a great app that can help your Mac stay awake as per your chosen time interval. It is a powerful utility that offers users numerous controls over the Sleep Mode functionality of Macs.

Now that you know what Sleep Mode is, here are the advantages of using sleep mode:

Advantages of Using Sleep Mode:

  • Your Battery’s Health Stays Solid
    If you are a Macbook user, ensuring your battery stays safe and healthy is crucial. Letting your MacBook sleep is one of the most effective ways of achieving a better life. When a Mac sleeps, it temporarily disables all unnecessary components to save power. Even though a few processes still keep running in the background, most of the features are laid to rest. This ensures that your Mac’s battery gets the rest it requires.
  • You Can Continue With Tasks From Where You Left Off
    When a Mac is sleeping, it does not close all running applications and processes. Hence, you can conveniently put your Mac to sleep, press any key to turn the screen on and continue from where you left off. This is a great advantage for power users who use their Macs to work on multiple projects. Instead of shutting down, using the Sleep Mode facilitates users to stop working whenever needed without worrying about losing data. It is a great feature that enhances users’ productivity and facilitates them to work without facing issues.
  • Your Mac Does Not Get Worn Down
    The majority of the modern-day Macs feature SSDs. The powerful component does not feature mechanical parts, which facilitates Macs to keep running continuously and reduces the need to shut down completely. Moreover, using the Sleep Mode gives the components the right amount of rest needed to function smoothly. Enabling and using the sleep feature significantly improves the lifespan of Macs. In addition, it allows them to offer consistent top-tier performance.

Even though shutting down your Mac completely is not bad, you can significantly benefit more by using the sleep feature, as mentioned above. Putting your Mac to sleep is the perfect option if you work on your Mac throughout the day and take very few breaks between work sessions.