How to Make Windows Sleep With a Shortcut

Lee Stanton March 22, 2022

Windows shortcuts are like secret paths that allow you to get to a desired result in unexpected ways. For instance, have you ever wanted to put your computer to sleep using just the keyboard because your mouse has been acting up? Maybe you find it a more efficient method of shutting down your PC without turning it completely off. In this article, we will find out how to use a shortcut to put your PC in sleep mode. Let’s explore the various ways you can do that.

How to Make Windows Sleep With a Shortcut

Power User Menu Shortcut

The most reliable shortcut for putting Windows to sleep is a sequence of keys that works without any setup. It might not be a true keyboard shortcut, but it provides a quick way of shutting Windows partially down, nonetheless. Here’s how to use the Power User Menu shortcut.

Open the Power User Menu by pressing the keys Win + X and take notice of the underlined characters.
Press “U” key to expand the Shut Down Menu.
Go to S to put Windows to sleep.

Other power actions can be performed using this shortcut that you may find important as well. For instance, pressing U again will shut down your computer completely, while clicking H will put it into hibernation. Pressing R will restart the machine while I will allow you to sign in to the device.

Alt + F4 Sleep Mode Shortcut

Clicking Alt + F4 when a window is open on a computer performs the same function as tapping the “X” at the top right corner of the window – it closes it. When there are no screens open on the PC, hitting Alt + F4 will send the PC to sleep.

You can ensure that there are no open windows or apps before using the Alt +F4 shortcut method. Press Win + T, which will place your cursor on the first item in the taskbar. From here, you can determine if any documents or files need to be shut down before sending Windows into sleep mode.

Now, hit Alt + F4 to open the Windows Shut Down dialogue box. You’ll then see “Sleep or Shut Down” in the dropdown box provided. To confirm that you’re satisfied with the selection, hit “OK.”

Turn the Power Button Into a Sleep Mode Shortcut

When pressed, the Power button will turn off your PC. If this is not a function you use often, you can reassign the switch to put the computer in sleep mode instead. To do this:

Open “Settings” and navigate to “System,” then “Power & Sleep.”
Scroll to the right side of the page and tap “Additional Power Settings.”
On the “Power Options” screen, pick “Choose what the power buttons do.”
Move to the “When I press the power button” section in the next window then click the drop down.
Change it to “Sleep” from the dropdown menu, then click “Save Changes.”

The PC will now go to sleep when you press the Power button.

Keyboard Sleep Key

Some laptops and desktop devices come with a dedicated Sleep key. This button will put the machine to sleep when pressed – the PC will not require the creation of any additional shortcuts. The Sleep key has “Zz” on it or the shape of a crescent moon.

FAQs

Why won’t my computer go to sleep?

If your computer doesn’t go to sleep, check for settings that may be preventing it from doing so. Some of these include hardware and software updates that may affect how the PC works. If you have installed an update that requires the computer to restart, the device will probably not enter sleep mode.

Sleep Mode at the Push of a Button

We primarily use the mouse to perform certain tasks on the computer, but keyboard shortcuts can come in handy when there is a problem with moving the cursor. These sleep mode shortcuts can put Windows to sleep without having to go through the menu. Shortcuts may also be more efficient as tapping a few keys is often quicker than locating and clicking through a menu. This guide has offered instructions on using key combinations to activate sleep mode. With this knowledge, you now have an additional tool you can utilize to manage your PC.

Do you use shortcuts to put Windows in sleep mode? Which shortcuts do you utilize? Let us know in the comments that follow.