During Tesla Sleep Mode, most of your car's technology switches off to conserve more energy for driving in the morning. To keep it that way, avoid plugging it in, opening the app, or leaving it on Standby Mode.

An electric car's battery is its heart, and if it's dead, you can't drive. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to park away from home without a charger. To ensure you have enough juice the following morning, every Tesla from the Model S to the Model Y has a Sleep Mode. There’s only one thing to watch out for — accidentally waking it up!

So, how do you make sure your Tesla gets a full night’s rest? We’ll answer these questions and more in

Jerry

’s guide to Tesla Sleep Mode. Rest easy knowing your questions and

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What is Tesla Sleep Mode?

Tesla Sleep Mode drains the car’s battery more slowly than if it was “awake,” much like a sleeping person burns fewer calories at night. Normally, an idle Tesla consumes 6-10% of its battery every day. If you put it in Sentry Mode or Dog Mode, it's closer to 1% every hour.

In contrast, Tesla Sleep Mode consumes just 1% of the battery every day. It does this by switching off any unnecessary systems, including the one that communicates with the Tesla app. Sleep Mode is for leaving your car inactive for a short time, whether it’s in temporary storage, at a friend’s place overnight, or spending a week outside the garage. Without Sleep Mode, you’d return to find a fancy, several-ton paperweight where you last parked!

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How to put your Tesla to sleep

Unfortunately, Tesla Sleep Mode is mostly out of your control. It happens automatically after 30 minutes of inactivity. The most you can do is dim the lights, tuck your car in, and read a bedtime story.

Okay, seriously, here's a list of do's and don'ts to make sure your Tesla sleeps like a baby:

DO make sure the battery has more than 1-3% charge since the Tesla will alert you when its battery is low

DO disable Sentry, Standby, Dog, Camp, or any other mode that requires the computer to be awake to monitor climate control, cameras, or displays

DO close the Tesla app on your iPhone or Android device

DON’T plug it in, since an actively charging Tesla doesn’t need to sleep

DON’T open the Tesla app because it will "ping" your car for info and wake it up

DON’T worry if your Tesla wakes up to check for software updates and such—a little tossing and turning is normal

How long can you leave Tesla Sleep Mode on?

Theoretically, Tesla Sleep Mode could last forever, as long as the car’s battery doesn’t run out. It could be three months or so before you have to charge it again. However, cold weather will drain the battery faster. Also, Tesla recommends that you drive and charge your car at least once a week to keep it running smoothly.

MORE:

What is the maximum Tesla Model 3 range?

Which Teslas have Sleep Mode?

Tesla Sleep Mode was developed sometime in 2013 and quickly became standard on every model. Whether you have a Model 3 or Model X, the benefits of parking without draining the battery are undeniable. Hopefully, we'll see things like user-controlled Sleep Mode and scheduled sleep in future updates.

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