Fix Guide: Mac Sleep Wake Failure on macOS Tahoe 26.2
Symptom: Your Mac won't wake up from sleep (black screen), or it restarts unexpectedly after you close the lid, showing a "Your Mac restarted because of a problem" message.
This is frequently caused by a conflict with "Power Nap" or an external device preventing the CPU from entering a low-power state.
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Fix 1: Reset the SMC (System Management Controller)
*Note: For Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs, just shut down for 30 seconds.*
For Intel Macs with the T2 chip:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Hold the Power Button for 10 seconds, then release.
- Wait a few seconds and turn the Mac back on.
Fix 2: Disable Power Nap & Proximity Wake
Power Nap can cause the Mac to wake up to check mail but fail to return to sleep properly.
- Go to System Settings > Battery > Options.
- Set "Enable Power Nap" to Never.
- Set "Wake for network access" to Never.
Fix 3: Identify the "Wake Reason" via Logs
If the Mac is waking up on its own, use this command to see what triggered it:
- Open Terminal.
- Run:
pmset -g log | grep -i "Wake Request"
- Look for the "Owner" (e.g.,
com.apple.alarm). This will tell you which app or process is the culprit.