First, check that the machine does not wake when you press the power button (rather than a key or the trackpad.)
Please back up all data before making any changes.
Step 1
Take all the applicable steps in this support article. That's the starting point for any further efforts to solve the problem. Please read the whole article carefully and don't skip any of the steps, including the ones under the heading Learn more. If you don't understand any of the steps, ask for guidance.
Wake failures can be caused by peripheral devices. Be sure to disconnect those, if applicable, as directed in the article.
Also note that if you replaced the internal hard drive with an SSD, or if you're starting up from an external SSD, then that device may be causing the problem. Check the SSD manufacturer's website for a firmware update. The only solution may be to reinstall the original drive or avoid sleep altogether.
Step 2
If you have a portable Mac (MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro), and it's in a case, take it out of the case. Move anything that might be magnetic (such as a mobile phone) well away from the area around the trackpad.
Step 3
If you're running OS X 10.8.5 or earlier, from the menu bar select
▹ System Preferences... ▹ Accessibility
If the checkbox at the bottom marked
Enable access for assistive devices
is checked, uncheck it and test.
If you're running OS X 10.9 or later, select
▹ System Preferences... ▹ Security & Privacy ▹ Privacy ▹ Accessibility
If any applications are listed on the right and have a checked box next to them, uncheck all the boxes and test. You may first have to click the padlock icon in the lower left corner of the window and authenticate as an administrator to unlock the settings.
Step 4
Back up all data.
Triple-click the line below on this page to select it, then copy the text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C:
/var/vm
In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.
A folder named "vm" should open. Inside it, there may be a file named "sleepimage". Move that file, and only that one, to the Trash, but don't empty yet. You'll be prompted for your password. Close the folder window.
Restart the computer and empty the Trash.
Step 5
In the Energy Saver pane of System Preferences, uncheck the box marked
Put hard disks to sleep when possible
Step 6
If the machine is bound to a network directory server (Open Directory, Active Directory, or LDAP), temporarily unbind it in the Users & Groups preference pane and test. You must by logged in as a local administrator to do this.
If you don't know what a network directory server is, this step doesn't apply to you.
Step 7
If you have replaced or added memory, test with only the original memory installed.
Step 8
If you don't already have a current backup, back up all data, then reinstall the OS.* You don't need to erase the startup volume, and you won't need the backup unless something goes wrong. If the system was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you may need the Apple ID and password you used.
If you installed the Java runtime distributed by Apple and still need it, you'll have to reinstall it. The same goes for Xcode. All other data will be preserved.
*The linked support article refers to OS X 10.11 ("El Capitan"), but the procedure is the same for OS X 10.7 ("Lion") and later.
Step 9
This and the next step must be taken as an administrator. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.
Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.
In the Console window, select
DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION ▹ Diagnostic and Usage Messages
In the search box in the window's toolbar, enter "powerd" (without the quotes.)
You may see one or more lines like this:
com.apple.message.signature: Platform Failure
or
com.apple.message.signature: Drivers Failure
If you do see that, and you did everything in the preceeding steps, then you're dealing with a bug or an internal hardware fault.
If FileVault is active, deactivate it in the Security & Privacy preference pane. Wait for the decryption process to finish, then see whether the sleep/wake cycle now works. If it does, you can experiment with reactivating FileVault, but doing so may restore the problem.
Otherwise, make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.
Step 10
In the Console window, select
DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION ▹ System Diagnostic Reports
(not Diagnostic and Usage Messages) from the log list on the left. If you don't see that heading, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar.
There is a disclosure triangle to the left of the list item. If the triangle is pointing to the right, click it so that it points down.
You may see one or more reports with a name that begins with "Kernel" or "Sleep Wake Failure" followed by a date. Select the most recent one. The contents of the report will appear on the right. Use copy and paste to post the entire contents—the text, not a screenshot.
I know the report is long, maybe several hundred lines. Please post all of it anyway.
