Keyboard shortcuts to put Windows 11 to sleep (or shut down)

Making your Windows PC go to sleep requires just a few clicks with the mouse, but what if you already have your hands on the keyboard, and want to do the same? Or, alternatively, shut down or restart the computer?

Here are three keyboard shortcuts you can use:

1. With active focus on the desktop (not in any application): press Alt+F4 to open the "Shut Down Windows" dialog box, then arrow up once (to select the Sleep option) and Enter. The drawback of this is that you must focus on the desktop first, most likely a mouse thing.
   
2. Windows+X to open the popup menu of the Start button, then u for the submenu, and finally s for sleep. Alternatively, change the last "s" to u for shut down. Like the previous one, you can also find the Restart option here with r.
   
3. Finally, you can press Windows on the keyboard (this opens the Start menu), then Shift+Tab to focus the profile name, right arrow once to focus the power icon, Space to activate it, and then down arrow to select Sleep, and then Enter. Adjust the number of arrow downs/ups to select Shutdown or Restart, if need be.

Of these, my personal favorite is #2 above: it can be done with one hand!

Happy keyboarding!