How to Use Sleep Mode on iPhone (2024 Guide)

All the latest iPhones have a Sleep mode that can reduce distractions and silence notifications so you can get a better night’s sleep. To meet your sleep goals and enable Sleep mode automatically on your iPhone, you can set up a sleep schedule for going to bed and waking up. Also, you can manually put your iPhone into Sleep mode whenever you want to. In this article, we’ll show you how to use Sleep Mode on an iPhone. Also, we’ll show you how to get the most out of sleep features on iOS. Without any ado, let’s begin!

What Is Sleep Mode on iPhone

Apple’s Sleep mode, named Sleep Focus allows you to set a sleep schedule and reduce distractions before & during your bedtime. It has all the features of a focus mode plus some additional settings that relate to your sleep habits. For instance, The Sleep Focus on an iPhone can filter out notifications and phone calls and even indicate to other people that you’re not available.

You can also set a Wind Down time i.e. when you want to enable Sleep Focus before your bedtime. It could be 15 minutes to 3 hours before your bedtime starts. Once you’ve enabled Sleep mode on your iPhone, you’ll see a sleep-specific home screen. You will automatically get your regular home screen back when your Sleep Focus ends.

How to Set Up Sleep Schedule on iPhone

To automatically enable Sleep Mode on your iPhone, you have to set up a Sleep Schedule in the Health app. While setting it up, you can set up your next bed and wake times. You can choose the same or a different sleep period for each day of the week.

Your iPhone will automatically enter Sleep Mode during the specified times. If you ever go to bed early, you can enable Sleep Focus from the Control Center of your iPhone or Apple Watch to turn on Sleep Mode manually on your iPhone. In WatchOS 11, you won’t have to turn on Sleep Focus manually as sleep tracking will be done automatically.

Here’s how to set up a Sleep Schedule on an iPhone:

• Open the Health app on your iPhone.
• Tap on Browse from the bottom right.
• Now, scroll down and choose Sleep.
• If you haven’t set sleep tracking on your Apple Watch, you have to tap on Get Started and set a sleep goal before adding a schedule.
• Next, under Your Schedule, tap on Add Schedule to add a new schedule or choose Edit to change the existing one.

• By default, your sleep schedule is set for all days of the week. In case you wish to disable the Apple Watch sleep tracker for some days (like weekends), tap on the Blue circles day under the Days Active tab.
• Next up, drag the end of the sleep block to set your Bedtime and Wake Up time.
• Once done, scroll down to see Alarm Options. To set an alarm to help you wake up on time, turn the slider on for Alarm. Now, choose the sound or vibration type, adjust the volume, and enable Snooze if you want to.
• Once you’re done, tap on Add from the top-right corner.

•  Just follow the same steps to add a sleep schedule for other days.
• You can set up additional details like Wind Down, Sleep Screen, and Sleep Focus.

How to Turn On Sleep Mode Manually on iPhone

The Sleep Focus on your iPhone will automatically turn during your specified bedtime. That said, our real sleep schedules may not always match up to our set sleep schedules. In such cases, you can manually enable Sleep mode on your iPhone. It’s super easy and requires a few clicks. Here’s how to turn on Sleep Focus on an iPhone:

• Swipe down from the top-right on your iPhone to reveal the Control Center.
• Now, touch and hold Focus and tap on Sleep.
• Your iPhone will enter Sleep mode.

If you ever wake up early, you can go to Control Center -> Focus and turn off Sleep Focus to disable Sleep Mode on your iPhone.

If you want, you can also put your iPhone in Sleep mode from your Apple Watch. To do this, open the Control Center on Apple Watch, tap on Focus, and choose Sleep.

How to Edit Sleep Schedule on iPhone

There can be instances when your bedtime or wake-up time has changed. If this happens, you can edit the sleep schedule for better sleep tracking. Even better, you can change your sleep schedule for only the following day (Next Wake Up Only) or all days (Full Schedule).

Follow the below steps to edit your sleep schedule on an iPhone:

• Open the Health app.
• Tap on Browse from the bottom right. Then, scroll down and choose Sleep.
• If you want to change your sleep schedule for the Next Day, tap on Edit below the Next option in the Your Schedule tab.
• To change your sleep schedule for all days, tap on Full Schedule and Options and then tap on the Edit option for the schedule you want to change.

• Now, drag the slider to adjust your Bedtime and Wake-up time. You can also change the selected days under Days Active, only when you’re updating the full sleep schedule.
• Adjust your Alarm Options and tap on Done to save the changes.
• To delete the sleep schedule, tap on the “Delete Schedule” button at the bottom of the screen.

Difference Between Do Not Disturb and Sleep on iPhone

Do Not Disturb and Sleep and both Focus modes on an iPhone. Both modes are designed to reduce distractions and filter out phone calls, notifications, and more. That said, Do Not Disturb and Sleep Mode serve different purposes. In addition to the Do Not Disturb settings, the Sleep Mode makes some additional changes like dimmed home & lock screens and also prevents notifications on the lock screen. The Sleep Focus is enabled automatically at your specified time, and enter the Do Not Disturb mode that reduces unnecessary distractions. However, you can customize notifications and allow important calls/apps to bypass Do Not Disturb.