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How to fix Sleep Option Missing in Windows 10 and 11?

The Windows sleep option is a great way to give your PC a few moments of rest and save some battery life while at it. But what if the sleep option is missing from your Windows 10 Power menu? Don’t worry — there are a few simple fixes to the problem and we are going to give you the problem-solving steps right down below. Try them one by one understand what happened to the sleep option in Windows 10 and Windows 11, and how to bring it back in no time.

Why is sleep option missing from Power menu in Windows 10?

So, what happened to the sleep option in Windows 10? There can be several reasons behind the issue — and, thus, several solutions. Namely:

  • Enabling sleep via Control Panel
  • Enabling sleep via Local Group Policy Editor
  • And updating your display adapters driver

We will now go over the steps for each of these possible fixes.

How to enable sleep on Windows 10?

As we’ve mentioned above, there are three main fixes for the missing sleep option issue in Windows 10.

Option One: Enable Sleep Mode via Control Panel

This fix is available for all versions of Windows 10 and is not as complicated as it may seem.  Here’s what you will need to do:

  • On your keyboard, ssthe Win + R key combo to launch Run
  • Type “control panel” and press Enter.
  • When the Control Panel window has opened, go to the drop-down list next to View by.
  • Here, select Category.
  • Next, click System and Security.
  • In the next window, click Power Options.
  • In the left pane, click Choose what the power buttons do
  • Next, click Change settings that are currently unavailable
  • Make sure to check the Sleep box down below.
  • Click Save changes to bring the sleep option back.
  • To confirm this, go to the Power menu and see if the sleep option has returned.

If the sleep option is back in the Power menu — congratulations! You have successfully restored your system’s ability to rest.

If, on the other hand, the sleep option is still missing from the menu, proceed to the next step.

Option Two: Enable Sleep via Local Group Policy Editor

Note that this solution is only available for Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise. If you are using a different edition of Windows 10, you won’t be able to open the Local Group Policy Editor on your computer — if this is the case, proceed to the third option.

Here’s how to enable sleep via Local Group Policy Editor:

  • Launch Run by pressing the Win + R key on your keyboard.
  • Type “gpedit.msc” and click OK.
  • Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  • In the new pop-up window, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
  • In the right panel in File Explorer, find the power options menu and double-click Show sleep
  • Next, select Enabled or Not Configured.
  • Click OK to save the changes you’ve made.
  • Once again, go back to the Power menu and see if the sleep option has returned.

Option Three: Update Your Display Adapters Driver

If you still can’t see the sleep option in your Power menu, try updating your display adapters driver. There are several ways to do that.

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First, you can do this automatically. In this case, you will need to go to the manufacturer’s website to download the latest driver version. Then, you will need to manually update the driver in your system. While this can be absolutely done, if you are updating your drivers for the first time, the whole process may seem overwhelming.

Another option is to update the driver automatically. In this case, you can download and install professional driver-updating software like Auslogics Driver Updater. The program will run a quick scan of your system, locate existing and potential driver issues and update your drivers to the latest manufacturer-recommended versions. This process can be completed in just one click and will require minimal input on your part. Moreover, as the program will also check the state of your other system drivers, this will help you avoid a whole range of other glitches and errors.

Option Four: Use the Power Troubleshooter

Windows provides a power troubleshooter that you can use to check for the triggering issue and immediately resolve it. The following guide will explain how to enable sleep mode on Windows 11 PCs using the power troubleshooter:

  • Press the Windows logo key + I combination to bring up the Settings window.
  • When it opens, switch to the System tab.
  • Scroll down the right pane to locate the “Troubleshoot” option and select it.
  • Click on the “Other troubleshooters” option.
  • Scroll down the “Other” section and click on the “Run” button for “Power”.
  • Wait for the system to scan for any issues that may be causing the sleep option to miss on your machine.
  • Once the process is done, reboot your PC and then check if the problem has been solved.

If you still can’t see the sleep option, don’t panic. The next method below might be what you need.

Option Five: Use Command Prompt

If your power settings are not properly configured, then you are likely to experience the no sleep option problem. Luckily, restoring your power settings to default helps eliminate the incorrect configurations.

Here is how this works in Windows 11:

  1. Hit the Windows button to access the search bar.
  2. Type “cmd” (no quotes) then right-click on the “Command Prompt” result.
  3. Choose “Run as administrator”.
  4. Click the Yes button in the confirmation window.
  5. Once the Command Prompt window opens, type the following command into it and then hit Enter:
    powercfg -restoredefaultschemes.
  6. Once done, restart your computer and then check if the issue has been removed from your PC.

Conclusion

You probably came here wondering, “why is sleep option missing from power menu in Windows 10/11?” Hopefully, the missing sleep option behavior is no longer an issue. However, if you still have any bothering questions about this, feel free to drop a comment below. Also, consider checking out our blog for more solutions to common Windows issues like this one.