MacBook battery drains while it's asleep or the lid is closed

Why it happens

A sleeping MacBook doesn't stay fully asleep. It wakes for a moment now and then to check the network, mail and messages, and each wake uses a little battery. Accessories plugged in and apps that hold the Mac awake add to it, so a night can cost far more than the few percent you'd expect.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings and click Battery in the sidebar. Click Options near the bottom of the page.

2. Set Wake for network access to Only on Power Adapter, then click Done. Your Mac then stays fully asleep on battery, and still does its network jobs while plugged in.

   Battery›Options…›Wake for network access

3. Before bed, note the battery percentage, close the lid fully and leave the Mac unplugged. A drop of a few percent overnight is normal.

4. Check again in the morning. If it lost much less, the network wake-ups were the cause.

On macOS 26, the same Options panel also has Enable Power Nap. Setting it to Never stops background updates while asleep. macOS 27 laptops don't have the Power Nap setting.

Still not fixed?

1. Unplug USB drives, hubs and adapters, and turn off Bluetooth mice or keyboards you don't need overnight. Connected devices can wake the Mac or keep it from sleeping deeply.

2. Find an app keeping your Mac awake. Open Activity Monitor, click Energy and look at the Preventing Sleep column. Quit any app that says Yes before you close the lid.

   Activity Monitor›Energy

3. Make sure the lid is fully closed and nothing in your bag presses on the keyboard or trackpad, which can wake the Mac.

4. Install the latest macOS update and restart. Sleep fixes often arrive that way.

   General›Software Update

5. Check the battery's condition in Battery Health. A worn battery loses charge faster, asleep or awake.

   Battery›Battery Health

6. If it still drains a lot overnight with network wake off and nothing connected, or Battery Health says Service Recommended, the battery may be faulty. That's hardware, so contact Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.