Hibernate vs Sleep in Windows 10: What is the difference?

If you leave a Windows 10 system unattended for it will enter a low power state called Sleep. Windows 10 has a similar low power state mode called Hibernate. Much like the Sleep state, users have an option to manually put the system in Hibernate mode from the power menu.

Hibernate Vs Sleep in Windows 10

Many users conflate Hibernate mode with Sleep mode. There are similarities between the two modes, and your system will only enter these mode if you force it to, or if you haven’t used in a while. The question is, which is better and what is the difference between the two.

Hibernate vs Sleep

The main different between Hibernate and Sleep mode is how data is saved, or where it’s saved to.

Save state

• When your system enters Sleep mode, the files you have open (and the unsaved data in them) are saved to the RAM.
• When your system enters Hibernate mode, the files you have open (and the unsaved date in them) are written to the disk.

Power usage

• When your system is in Sleep mode, it uses very little power to keep things running.
• When your system is in Hibernate mode, it uses no power at all. It essentially powers the system off.

Feature availability

• Sleep mode is present on all PCs that are running Windows 10 and enabled by default.
• Hibernate is not present on all PCs that run Windows 10 e.g., it will not be available if your system has InstantGo. It may not be enabled by default even if it is available on a system.

SSD damage

• Sleep mode will not damage or otherwise shorten the lifespan of an SSD.
• Hibernate mode has been known to damage early generation SDDs and cause them to wear out sooner. Newer SSDs do not have this problem.

Hard drive damage

• Neither Sleep nor Hibernate mode can damage the hard disk.

Hardware indicator

• When your system is in Sleep mode, lights on your system may continue to blink to signal its state e.g., the power button may blink or if you have an SSD/HDD read/write indicator, it too may blink while the system sleeps. 
• When your system is in Hibernate mode, all lights/indicators will turn off. Looking at your system, you won’t be able to tell if it’s been Shut Down or if it’s in Hibernate mode until you press the power button.

Resume

• Windows 10 will come out of a Sleep state much faster than it will come out of Hibernate mode. The time difference is significant.
• A system can resumed from Sleep mode by pressing the power button, or by tapping a key on the keyboard or clicking the mouse.
• A system can be resumed from Hibernate mode by pressing the power button. 

Should you Sleep or Hibernate Windows 10?

Sleep and Hibernate modes are often present on the same system. You can choose which to use at your own discretion but generally;

• You should use Sleep mode if you will be away from your system for a very brief time period e.g. fifteen minutes or an hour.
• You should use Hibernate mode if you will be away from your system for an extended period of time, but you’d still like to pick up work where you left it instead of booting the system up again.

Windows 10 generally has a harder time resuming from Hibernate mode and you may end up restarting your system anyway. This is why, even if you plan on being away from the system for an extended period of time, Sleep mode may be the better option.

Shut Down, Sleep, or Hibernate Windows 10

If the Shut Down option is on the table, i.e., you’re willing to shut your system down than it’s better to do so instead of putting it in Hibernate mode.

The reason we avoid using Hibernate mode is because it takes so long for the system to come out of it. Your system may actually turn on much faster.

For unsaved data, the shut down is a user initiated action which means you will be prompted to save your work before shut the system down.

The one major disadvantage of shutting down a system over hibernating it is that you will have to open your apps and files again. Hibernate mode saves the current state of the system so you do not have to do that. 

Hybrid Sleep

Windows 10 has a third mode called Hybrid Sleep. It’s a combination of Hibernate and Sleep mode where;

• Data is written to the hard disk instead of RAM.
• The system periodically refreshes the memory.
• System resume is faster than Hibernate but slower than Sleep.
• The system will continue to consume power when it is in Hybrid Sleep mode.

Conclusion

If you find it hard to remember the difference between Hibernate and Sleep mode, take a clue from their names. Hibernation is a much deeper sleep state whereas Sleep is light in comparison to it. If your system constantly struggles to come out of hibernate mode, you may have an app to blame for it. You can remove the app, stick to using Sleep mode, or switch to shutting the system down.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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