caffeinate: Keep Your Mac Awake via Terminal

How It Works

1. Open Terminal (Cmd+Space → type "Terminal")
2. Enter command: caffeinate and press Enter
3. Your Mac won't sleep anymore (display can still turn off, but system stays active)
4. Stop it: Press Ctrl+C in Terminal

Variants:

• caffeinate -d → display stays on too
• caffeinate -t 3600 → for 1 hour (3600 seconds)
• caffeinate -w <PID> → until a specific process finishes

Why This Helps

caffeinate is a macOS tool that temporarily overrides Power Management. Useful for:

• Downloads (overnight)
• Backups (TimeMachine, Cloud)
• Long scripts (automation, development)
• Presentations (display on, no screensaver interruptions)

Note: The Terminal window must stay open. You can run it in the background: caffeinate &

⚠️ Important: Don't forget to stop caffeinate — otherwise your Mac will never sleep!

Nerd Bonus: The name is a play on caffeine (coffee keeps you awake). ☕