How to Put One Monitor to Sleep (2026 Complete Guide)

Learning how to put one monitor to sleep while keeping the other active is a common need for multi-monitor users who want to save energy, reduce eye strain, or simply focus on a single display without the distraction of additional screens. While Windows handles monitor sleep and wake behavior as a group by default, there are several methods to control individual monitors independently. Whether you want to turn off your secondary monitor while working on your primary display, sleep one screen during gaming, or manage monitor power consumption in a dual or triple monitor setup, this guide covers every available method in 2026. We will walk you through Windows settings, third-party software solutions, monitor OSD settings, GPU control panel options, and creative workarounds that give you individual control over each monitor in your setup.

Last updated: July 19, 2026 | Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Table of Contents

• Why Put One Monitor to Sleep?
• Windows Default Monitor Sleep Behavior
• Method 1: Windows Display Settings Trick
• Method 2: Third-Party Software Solutions
• Method 3: Monitor OSD Power Settings
• Method 4: GPU Control Panel Settings
• Method 5: Using Hot Corners and Shortcuts
• Method 6: Smart Power Strip Method
• Method 7: Custom Scripts and Automation
• Dell Monitor Specific Solutions
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why Put One Monitor to Sleep?

There are several practical reasons why you might want to put one monitor to sleep while keeping the other active:

Energy Savings: A typical 27-inch monitor consumes 30-50 watts when active and less than 0.5 watts in sleep mode. By putting one monitor to sleep while not in use, you can save significant electricity over time, especially if the secondary monitor sits idle for hours each day.

Focus and Productivity: Multiple monitors can be distracting, especially when working on tasks that require deep concentration. Putting the secondary monitor to sleep eliminates the visual distraction and helps you focus on the primary display.

Reduced Eye Strain: Having multiple bright screens in your field of vision can cause eye fatigue, especially in dark environments. Putting one monitor to sleep reduces the total light output and can make long work sessions more comfortable.

Extended Monitor Lifespan: While modern LED-backlit monitors are designed for tens of thousands of hours of operation, reducing unnecessary screen-on time can extend their lifespan. Putting a monitor to sleep when not in use reduces wear on the backlight and other components.

Privacy: When working with sensitive information on your primary monitor, putting the secondary monitor to sleep prevents others from seeing what is displayed on it.

Windows Default Monitor Sleep Behavior

By default, Windows treats all monitors as a single group for sleep and power management. When the display sleep timer activates, all connected monitors go to sleep simultaneously. There is no built-in Windows setting to put individual monitors to sleep on a schedule or through the standard power options.

Windows does provide a shortcut to turn off all displays immediately: press Windows + L to lock the screen (which turns off all monitors based on your lock screen settings), or press the monitor power button on each monitor individually. However, neither of these methods allows you to selectively control individual monitors.

The reason for this limitation is that Windows manages display outputs at the GPU level, not at the individual monitor level. When the GPU stops sending a signal to a display output, the connected monitor enters its power-saving mode. Windows does not currently provide a user-facing option to stop the signal to one output while maintaining it on another.

However, there are workarounds and third-party solutions that can achieve individual monitor control. The following methods provide ways to put one monitor to sleep while keeping others active.

Method 1: Windows Display Settings Trick

While Windows does not have a direct “sleep one monitor” option, you can use a display settings workaround to effectively turn off one monitor:

Step 1: Right-click on your desktop and select Display Settings (or press Windows + I and navigate to System > Display).

Step 2: You will see a visual representation of your monitors numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. Click on the monitor you want to put to sleep.

Step 3: Scroll down to the Multiple displays section and select “Disconnect this display” from the dropdown.

Step 4: Click Apply. The selected monitor will turn off (go to sleep) while the other monitors remain active.

Step 5: To wake the monitor, go back to Display Settings and select “Extend these displays” from the Multiple displays dropdown.

This method effectively turns off one monitor by disconnecting it at the software level. The monitor enters its power-saving mode because it no longer receives a video signal. The downside is that you need to go through the display settings each time, and any windows that were on the disconnected monitor will move to the remaining active monitors.

For a quicker version of this method, you can create a keyboard shortcut or batch script that toggles display configurations. This involves using the DisplaySwitch.exe utility or the NirCmd command-line tool to switch between extended and single-display modes.

Method 2: Third-Party Software Solutions

Several third-party applications are designed specifically for multi-monitor management and can put individual monitors to sleep:

Monitor Control: Monitor Control is a lightweight utility that provides individual control over each connected monitor. It can turn monitors on and off independently, adjust brightness, and manage power states. Download it from the Microsoft Store or the developer’s website, and use its interface to put specific monitors to sleep with a single click.

DisplayFusion: DisplayFusion is a comprehensive multi-monitor management tool that includes individual monitor power control. It offers hotkey support, allowing you to assign keyboard shortcuts to turn specific monitors on and off. The free version includes basic monitor control, while the Pro version adds advanced features like multi-monitor wallpaper management and title bar buttons.

MultiMonitorTool: MultiMonitorTool is a lightweight utility from NirSoft that provides quick access to multi-monitor controls. You can disable and enable individual monitors through its interface, assign hotkeys for quick toggling, and manage monitor-specific settings.

Actual Multiple Monitors: This is a full-featured multi-monitor management suite that includes individual monitor power control, custom hotkeys, and advanced window management. It provides the most comprehensive individual monitor control available in a third-party tool.

ClickMonitorDDC: This tool uses DDC/CI (Display Data Channel Command Interface) to control monitors directly. It can turn individual monitors on and off, adjust brightness, and change input sources through command-line commands, making it ideal for scripting custom monitor control solutions.

Method 3: Monitor OSD Power Settings

Many monitors have built-in power management settings in their On-Screen Display (OSD) that can help with individual monitor control:

Auto-Sleep Timer: Most monitors have a built-in auto-sleep or power-saving timer that puts the monitor to sleep after a period of no input. You can set different timers on each monitor, so the secondary monitor sleeps sooner than the primary.

Step 1: Press the menu button on your secondary monitor to open its OSD.

Step 2: Navigate to the Power or Energy Saving section.

Step 3: Look for an option like “Auto Standby,” “Power Save,” or “No Signal Power Off.”

Step 4: Set the timer to a short duration (like 5 minutes or even 1 minute). When the monitor receives no user input (keyboard/mouse activity on that specific screen), it will go to sleep after the specified time.

Step 5: Keep the primary monitor’s timer at a longer duration or disable it entirely so it stays on while you are working.

Note that this method depends on the monitor correctly detecting when it is not receiving user input. Some monitors detect input based on video signal changes rather than mouse/keyboard activity on the specific screen, so this may not work for all monitors.

If you are using Dell monitors, check out our guide on how to stop Dell monitor from entering power save mode for Dell-specific OSD settings, and how to restart a Dell monitor for troubleshooting monitor power issues.

Method 4: GPU Control Panel Settings

Your GPU’s control panel may offer additional monitor power management options:

NVIDIA Control Panel:

Step 1: Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.

Step 2: Navigate to Display > Set up multiple displays.

Step 3: While NVIDIA Control Panel does not have a direct “sleep one monitor” option, you can disable specific displays by unchecking them. This is similar to the Windows Display Settings method but provides a slightly different interface.

Step 4: You can also configure display-specific power management under 3D Settings > Manage 3D Settings > Power management mode, though this applies to the GPU rather than individual monitors.

AMD Radeon Software:

Step 1: Right-click on your desktop and select AMD Radeon Software.

Step 2: Navigate to the Display tab.

Step 3: AMD Radeon Software provides options for multi-display configurations but does not include individual monitor sleep control. However, you can use the AMD Eyefinity settings to group and manage displays.

Intel Graphics Command Center:

Step 1: Open the Intel Graphics Command Center from the Start menu.

Step 2: Navigate to the System tab and look for power settings.

Step 3: Intel’s graphics control panel may offer display-specific power settings that are not available in Windows Settings.

Method 5: Using Hot Corners and Shortcuts

You can set up keyboard shortcuts and hot corners to quickly toggle individual monitors:

NirCmd Script: NirCmd is a command-line utility that can turn monitors on and off using DDC/CI commands. Create batch scripts for each monitor and assign keyboard shortcuts:

nircmd monitor on
nircmd monitor off

Place these scripts on your desktop, right-click each, select Properties > Shortcut, and assign a keyboard shortcut (like Ctrl + Alt + 1 for monitor 1 off, Ctrl + Alt + 2 for monitor 2 off).

AutoHotkey Script: For more advanced control, create an AutoHotkey script that toggles specific monitors:

; Toggle Monitor 2 with Ctrl+Alt+F1
^!F1::
SysGet, Monitor2, Monitor, 2
if (Monitor2Left != 0) {
; Monitor 2 is active, turn it off
Send {LWin down}p{LWin up}
}
return

AutoHotkey provides the most flexible and customizable approach to individual monitor control, allowing you to create complex automation rules based on time, application, or user input.

Method 6: Smart Power Strip Method

A smart power strip can provide hardware-level control over individual monitor power:

Step 1: Purchase a smart power strip with individually controlled outlets (like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Power Strip or similar products).

Step 2: Plug your primary monitor into an always-on outlet and your secondary monitor into a controllable outlet.

Step 3: Use the smart strip’s app or voice assistant (Alexa, Google Home) to turn the secondary monitor’s outlet on and off.

Step 4: Create routines or schedules to automatically turn the secondary monitor off during specific hours.

This method provides true hardware-level power control, completely cutting power to the monitor when not in use. The downside is that you cannot gradually put the monitor to sleep; it either has full power or no power. This means the monitor will go through its full startup sequence each time you turn it on.

Method 7: Custom Scripts and Automation

For users who want fully automated individual monitor control, custom scripts provide the most flexibility:

PowerShell Script: PowerShell can be used to interact with Windows display settings programmatically. You can create scripts that disable specific monitors based on time of day, application focus, or manual trigger.

Task Scheduler Integration: Combine PowerShell scripts with Windows Task Scheduler to create automated monitor sleep schedules. For example, automatically put your secondary monitor to sleep at 10 PM and wake it at 8 AM.

Application-Based Automation: Some automation tools like IFTTT, Home Assistant, or Microsoft Power Automate can be configured to control monitor power based on various triggers, including time, system events, or other conditions.

For more information on Dell monitor power management and automation, see our comprehensive guides on how to stop Dell monitor from entering power save mode, how to restart a Dell monitor, and how to put one monitor to sleep for Dell-specific solutions.

Dell Monitor Specific Solutions

Dell monitors have specific power management features and settings that are worth highlighting:

Dell Monitor OSD Settings: Most Dell monitors have a Power Management section in the OSD that allows you to configure auto-sleep behavior. Navigate to the OSD menu (usually by pressing the menu button on the monitor), go to Power, and adjust the Auto Standby timer. You can set different standby timers for different Dell monitors in a multi-monitor setup.

Dell Display Manager: Dell provides the Dell Display Manager software that offers additional control over Dell monitors. It allows you to configure monitor-specific settings including power management, brightness, and input source selection. Download it from the Dell support website for your specific monitor model.

Dell Monitor Power Button: The simplest method for putting a Dell monitor to sleep is pressing the power button on the monitor itself. This puts the monitor into standby mode while your PC continues to send a video signal. The monitor will wake up when it receives input (mouse movement or keyboard press) that causes the PC to send a new video signal.

Dell Monitor DDC/CI: Many Dell monitors support DDC/CI (Display Data Channel Command Interface), which allows software to control monitor settings including power state. Tools like ClickMonitorDDC can send DDC/CI commands to Dell monitors to turn them on and off individually.

For comprehensive Dell monitor troubleshooting and management, check out our guide on how to stop Dell monitor from entering power save mode if your Dell monitor is going to sleep when you do not want it to, and how to restart a Dell monitor for general Dell monitor troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

While Windows does not natively support putting individual monitors to sleep, the methods described in this guide provide multiple ways to achieve this functionality. From simple display settings workarounds and monitor OSD timers to third-party software and custom scripts, you can find a solution that matches your technical comfort level and specific needs. For Dell monitor users, the built-in OSD settings and Dell Display Manager software provide convenient control over individual monitor power states.