Fix Guide: Mac Waking from Sleep Unexpectedly on Tahoe
Symptom: Your Mac running macOS Tahoe wakes from sleep on its own without any user interaction. This happens multiple times per night or when the lid is closed. The display turns on briefly then goes back to sleep, or sometimes stays awake. Checking pmset -g log shows wake events from powerd or network activity.
Why this happens
macOS Power Nap allows your Mac to perform tasks while sleeping: checking email, updating calendars, Time Machine backups, and software updates. On Tahoe, the powerd daemon's wake schedule has become more aggressive, triggering more frequent Power Nap sessions. Additionally, the sharingd daemon (for Handoff/AirDrop) and bluetoothd can wake the Mac when nearby Apple devices are active.
Network activity from nsurlsessiond (background URL sessions) and cloudd (iCloud sync) can also trigger wake events. Tahoe's updated darkwake mode, which allows background tasks without fully waking the display, sometimes fails and causes a full wake instead.
Recommended Troubleshooting Tool
Before proceeding with manual fixes, we recommend using OnyX. The preferred tool for deep system maintenance and resetting the macOS Bluetooth stack.
- [Download OnyX Free Here](#)
- [Browse 240+ Premium Mac Utilities on Setapp](#)
Fix 1: Disable Power Nap and Network Wake
Turn off Power Nap and network-triggered wake events:
# Disable Power Nap for battery power
sudo pmset -b powernap 0
# Disable Power Nap for AC power
sudo pmset -c powernap 0
# Disable wake on network access
sudo pmset -a womp 0
# Disable wake for network administrator access (remote management)
sudo pmset -a networkoversleep 0
# Verify settings
pmset -g custom
Fix 2: Identify and Disable Wake Triggers
Find what's waking your Mac and disable those triggers:
# View recent wake reasons
pmset -g log | grep -E "Wake from|DarkWake"
# Common wake assertions:
# - mDNSResponder (Bonjour)
# - bluetoothd (Bluetooth devices)
# - UserEventAgent (scheduled tasks)
# Prevent Bluetooth devices from waking Mac
sudo pmset -a darkwakes 0
# Disable proximity wake (for Mac laptops)
sudo pmset -a proximitywake 0
# Disable standby mode (deep sleep) that can cause wake issues
sudo pmset -a standby 0
sudo pmset -a autopoweroff 0
# List devices that can wake the Mac
pmset -g assertions
# Disable specific wake schedulers
sudo pmset -a ttyskeepawake 0
sudo pmset -a tcpkeepalive 0
Fix 3: Reset Power Management and Create Custom Sleep Profile
Reset all power settings and create a custom configuration:
# Reset power management to defaults
sudo pmset -a restoredefaults
# Create a custom sleep profile (laptop example)
# Adjust sleep timer to 15 minutes on battery, 30 on power
sudo pmset -b sleep 15
sudo pmset -c sleep 30
# Disable hibernation (can cause wake issues)
sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
# Disable disk sleep (can trigger wake events on APFS)
sudo pmset -a disksleep 0
# Set display sleep separately
sudo pmset -b displaysleep 10
sudo pmset -c displaysleep 20
# Reset SMC (Intel Macs only, not M1/M2/M3)
# Shut down, press Shift+Control+Option+Power for 10 seconds, release, start
# For Apple Silicon Macs, restart while holding power button for 10 seconds
# Check for scheduled wake events
sudo pmset -g sched
# Remove all scheduled wake events
sudo pmset schedule cancelall
# Reboot to apply all changes
sudo reboot
Recommended Tool: **Amphetamine**
Amphetamine is a powerful, free keep-awake utility for macOS that gives you precise control over sleep and wake behavior. While it's typically used to keep your Mac awake, its "Triggers" feature allows you to define complex conditions for when your Mac should or shouldn't sleep. You can create rules like "never wake during these hours" or "only allow sleep when these apps are closed." Amphetamine also includes a session history that logs all sleep/wake events with timestamps, making it easier to diagnose unexpected wake issues than parsing pmset logs. Its closed-display mode ensures your MacBook stays asleep when the lid is closed, regardless of Power Nap settings.