Have you ever had the perplexing experience of closing your Mac for the night, thinking it´s safe and sound, only to wake up and find its battery is dead? I have been there quite often, so I tried and tested some workarounds. Like a true friend, I am here to share the simple fixes that helped me resolve the issue of my MacBook battery draining in sleep mode.
- Unplug USB accessories from your Mac
- Temporarily disable Bluetooth
- Update macOS and apps
- Disable notifications
- Find apps/processes preventing sleep
- Scan your Mac for malware
- Check your Mac´s battery health
- Turn off the Power Nap feature
- Other common fixes
1. Unplug USB accessories from your Mac
USB peripherals like drives or dongles could be the reason why your MacBook´s battery is draining during Sleep Mode. Here´s a simple move that might just jolt it awake.
All you need to do is follow a quick routine of disconnecting the USB brigade to let your Mac have its beauty sleep.
2. Temporarily disable Bluetooth
So, you´ve noticed your MacBook´s battery taking a nosedive while it´s supposedly taking a snooze? One trick you might wanna try is temporarily disabling Bluetooth. It may be sipping more juice than you´d expect, even when your laptop is catching some sleep.
To turn off Bluetooth on your Mac:
- Head to the Control Center → Select Bluetooth.
- Toggle off the button next to Bluetooth.
Alternatively, you can also navigate to the Apple logo → Choose System Settings → Click Bluetooth → Turn off the button next to Bluetooth.
3. Update macOS and apps
If your Mac´s battery drains overnight, here´s what you can do. Update your Mac´s operating system and apps to the most recent versions.
Although there are flaws that cause your Mac to consume more battery than it should, the latest updates provide remedies for those.
4. Disable notifications
Another reason for power depletion in sleep mode could be the Mac´s notification alerts. These notifications can wake your MacBook from its sleep, activate the screen, and use up some of its juice.
Furthermore, notifications contribute to power reduction by maintaining ongoing background processes to check for potential alerts.
To conserve your MacBook´s battery life, you have the option to disable notifications on your Mac. Additionally, if you want to ensure turn off notifications for your Mac in sleep mode, follow the steps below.
- Click the Apple logo () → Choose System Settings.
- Head to Notifications → Toggle off the button next to Allow notifications when the display is sleeping.
5. Find apps/processes preventing sleep
I´m sure you´re aware that some apps and features on your MacBook need to stay active in the background, even when it´s in sleep mode. These features and apps contribute to draining your Mac´s battery power when your device is supposed to be taking a nap.
- Launch Spotlight (by pressing cmd + space bar).
- Search and open Activity Monitor.
- Click %CPU.
Now, look if any of the apps are taking up more than 60% of your CPU. - Double-click the feature/app you want to close.
- Choose Quit.
- Confirm by selecting Quit.
6. Scan your Mac for malware
Malicious stuff like viruses, Trojans, and adware can seriously drain your battery. These sneaky troublemakers usually work behind the scenes, so it´s a good idea to give your Mac a security check. But hey, no worries! You can easily give your Mac a quick malware check using these best Mac antivirus software. Your battery will thank you!
7. Check your Mac´s battery health
If you´ve done everything I suggested to fix the sleep mode´s battery drain issue but to no avail, then the battery itself might be the problem.
Batteries don´t stay strong forever as they get older. They lose some of their power and can´t hold on to energy as effectively. This leads to quicker battery loss, even when your laptop is asleep. But there is no need to stress, as Apple has an easy way to check your MacBook´s battery health.
8. Turn off the Power Nap feature
If you are facing sleep mode´s battery drain issue on an Intel-based Mac, then stopping the Power Nap feature can help save your battery.
Power Nap lets stuff like checking email and making backups happen in the background, even when it´s on battery and napping. Sometimes, that´s handy, but usually, it just means your MacBook´s battery takes a hit all the time. To switch off Power Nap, do this.
- Click the Apple logo () → Choose System Settings.
- Go to Battery → Click Options.
- Open the dropdown menu next to Enable Power Nap.
- Select either Never or Only on Power Adapter.
9. Other common fixes
- Restart your Mac: Sometimes, gadgets can mess up your work and leave you all bothered. While there are plenty of workarounds to fix this, restarting it can be the best pick. Say NO to battery drain by restarting your Mac. Trust me; you will save a lot of your time and effort here.
- Reset your MacBook: If nothing else has worked and you´re at a loss for what to do, I´d recommend resetting your Mac. This will essentially erase it and roll it back to the state it was in when you originally received it.
FAQs
Will my MacBook enter sleep mode if I close the lid?
Closing the lid should trigger sleep mode on your MacBook. However, there might be instances where this doesn´t happen due to various issues.
Can I see any unusual behavior during sleep mode if my MacBook battery is draining in sleep mode?
Yes, if your battery is degraded or failing, it might struggle to hold a charge effectively. Consequently, this can lead to unexpected behavior while your MacBook is in sleep mode.
Is it normal for my MacBook to experience battery drain in sleep mode?
Yes, a small amount of Mac battery drain is normal in sleep mode. This can be attributed to background tasks and system maintenance that continue to run.