Leaving your computer screen on for extended periods of time wastes power---and, on a laptop, battery life. Thankfully, Windows 10 makes it super easy to decide how long the screen should stay on.

Windows 10 lets you decide how long the screen will stay on when the PC is plugged in and when it's running off the battery. Of course, if you're using a desktop PC, you won't see the option for battery power.

Related: How to Stop Windows 10 From Turning Off Your Screen

First, click the Start Menu and select the gear icon to open the Settings. (You can also open the Settings window by pressing Windows+i on your keyboard.)

click the start menu and select settings

Next, select "System" from the Settings window.

select system

Select "Power & Sleep" from the sidebar.

select power and sleep

If you're using a desktop, you'll see one drop-down for "When Plugged In" under both "Screen" and "Sleep," while if you're using a laptop or tablet, you'll see a second drop-down for "On Battery Power."

To control when the screen turns off, select a drop-down under "Screen."

select a drop down under screen

Now, select one of the time lengths to decide how long the screen will stay on.

choose a time length

Do this for both "On Battery Power" and "When Plugged In" if you have them. That's all there is to it.

Keep in mind that the screen turning off is not the same as "Sleep." The PC is still on even when the screen is off, so make sure to customize the Sleep settings, too.

Related: How to Choose How Long Your Windows 10 PC Waits Before Sleeping