Should I Shut My Computer Down , or Put It in Sleep Mode?.br Fox News recently offered a helpful breakdown br on the differences between shutting down br a computer and putting it in sleep mode.br 'Sleep mode' is a somewhat misleading term, br since your computer is still on and will have severalbr programs running, despite having the screen shut off.br Programs that may continue running in br the background include virus scan, br system backups, software updates and br disk cleanup. .br These programs are where br the tradeoff of sleep mode versus br turning your computer off come in.br Shutting down your computer and failing br to receive updates could make your device br susceptible to different kinds of malware.br However, the heat your computer produces br in sleep mode could wear on components br and lead to a shorter lifespan for your device.br Shutting down your computer br is also a good way to save br money on energy bills. .br Regularly shutting down a device can br also help performance, as it gives RAM br and the battery a chance to rest. .br Rebooting your computer can also help br to manage any system issues that might arise, br including fixing bugs or faulty network connections.