If you want your Sim to be healthy and enjoy high energy levels, you need to make sure they get enough sleep. This is easier said than done as many gamers complained that their Sims can’t stay in bed and sleep.
As a result, the energy level stays in the dark orange or red range and the Sim constantly passes out or uses various solutions such as coffee to survive.
Surely, this is an annoying issue, so let’s see how you can fix it.
Long Story Short:
Factors like lights, noise from radios or TVs, inappropriate sleeping outfits, poor relationships, and game glitches can disrupt sleep in The Sims 4.
Solutions include deleting and replacing the bed, turning off radios/TVs, changing the Sim’s outfit, disciplining noisy pets, repairing relationships, and eliminating light sources.
Additional fixes involve moving the Sim out and back in, removing mods, or using a sleeping pod.
Why is my Sim not sleeping?
Your Sim can’t fall asleep if the lights are on or the radio or TV is within earshot. Not having the right sleeping outfit or the best relationship with the Sim they’re sharing the bed with might explain why your Sim can barely get any sleep.
What to do if your Sim won’t stay asleep
Fix 1: Delete the bed
If this problem has been bugging you for quite a while, try deleting the bed and then exit the game. Launch the game again, enter Build Mode and get a new bed. Your Sim should be able to sleep now.
Fix 2: Turn off the radio/TV
Make sure the radio and TV are turned off. If any of these devices are playing in the background, your Sim won’t be able to fall asleep. Sims can’t sleep if there is a radio or TV within earshot.
As a matter of fact, make sure nothing disturbs your Sim’s sleep. Remove any wind chimes or any other objects, including speakers, that may cause background noises.
Fix 3: Change your Sim’s sleeping outfit
Go to the main menu panel and get a new sleeping outfit for your Sim. Now send them to bed in this new outfit and check if they stay asleep until the energy meter is full again.
Fix 4: Make sure pets don’t keep your Sim awake
If a pet is barking or meowing, this may explain why your Sim can’t get any sleep. Click on the respective pet and select the option Scold/Lecture for waking up.
If the pet was the reason why your Sim could not fall asleep, then this should solve the problem.
Fix 5: Make sure your Sim gets along well with their partner
Make sure your Sim has a good relationship with the Sim they’re sharing the bed with. If they had an argument earlier or the relationship is simply not working anymore, your Sim won’t be able to fall asleep.
Fix 6: Turn off all light sources
Make sure all the lights have been turned off, including any other sources of light such as lamps, projecting boxes, computer screens, and so on.
Fix 7: Move the Sim out and back in
Many players suggested that moving the Sim out and then back in via Manage Worlds worked like a charm. Check if this quick workaround does the trick for you.
Fix 8: Remove mods
Some mods may trigger unexpected game issues. If you’re using mods, try removing them and see if your Sim can now fall asleep.
Mode your Mods folder to your desktop, and check the results.
If nothing works, have your Sim sleep in a sleeping pod. This type of bed is available in The Sims 4: Get Famous expansion pack.
Tips to help your Sim fall asleep faster
Avoid Moodlet Solvers
Your Sim may have difficulties falling asleep after drinking a moodlet solver. This side effect may last for a few days so think twice before administering a moodlet solver to your Sim.
Avoid Energizing Potions
Just like Moodlet Solvers, Energizing Potions work by giving a huge energy boost to your Sim. Such potions and energy drinks force your Sim to stay active.
There you go, I hope these tips will help your Sim get a nice and refreshing sleep.
This guide was updated in May 2024.
I’ve struggled with Sims not sleeping throughout sim’s 4’s first release on console and actually experienced the bug in earlier sims aswell. As a Sims 4 fanboy, this is a hugely annoying bug that always creeps back into my gameplay. FOR CONSOLE PLAYERS (PS4 specifically): I have noticed the sleeping-neglect bug comes soon after a birth, or around a aging for one of the sims – atleast for the 1000’s of times the bug has occurred to me it has always occurred during one of those events (doesn’t have to be a actual *birthday celebration*). TV, Music, sound, seems to have no noticeable effect on sleeping to console sims that I am aware of. THE FIX: regardless of playing the vanilla version or having all of the add-on’s, first move all of your sims off property and save. “close application” on game. Disconnect PS4 from internet (if connected -> kiddo’s trust me.), (reconnect PS4 to internet), go to settings —> click “restore licenses” (this often solves issues concerning add-on’s and bugs), then when its finished open the game back up and load your last save and travel back home and tell your Sims to get some dang sleep. Zzz 😴 hope this helped a little for console players.
Thank you for sharing this useful tip!
Changing the sleep outfit worked. Thx so much!
Glad to hear that! Happy Simming!