They look similar but work differently
Sleep and hibernate both save power, but they work in different ways. Choosing the right one for the situation lets you get the best of both battery life and convenience.
Need your screen to stay on instead?
It is also worth looking into how to prevent your computer screen from turning off, for situations where you need the display to stay awake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my work if the battery dies while in hibernate?
No. Hibernate saves your work to the hard drive beforehand, so even if the battery drains completely, your session is restored exactly as it was when you power back on.
I don’t see a hibernate option on my laptop.
Some newer laptops with fast SSDs don’t enable hibernate by default, so you may need to turn it on manually in Power Options.