PZ ManualThe server operator controls multiplayer sleep. Enable SleepAllowed to permit it; also enable SleepNeeded if you want characters to become tired and require sleep. A joiner cannot override the server with a personal single-player setting. Change the active server profile, restart it safely, and check the in-game sleep action with the group.
Choose the two settings for your group
These meanings are from the older developer reference, not a claim about an untouched default on every current host. Existing profiles and hosting providers can choose different values. Change the two named options in your own generated profile rather than importing an entire old INI.
| SleepAllowed | SleepNeeded | Intended configuration |
|---|---|---|
| false | false | Sleep disabled; ordinary multiplayer without required sleeping. |
| true | false | Sleep permitted without requiring the fatigue/sleep cycle. |
| true | true | Sleep permitted and characters need sleep. |
| false | true | SleepNeeded is documented as ignored when SleepAllowed is false; enable both for required sleep. |
Source: Aiteron · configure server settings, Build 41 MP · Developer-authored older configuration reference
Change a Host world or dedicated profile
- Identify who starts the world. For the in-game Host route, that person edits the selected server settings. A dedicated server has its own active profile and data location; client-only settings do not configure it.
- Before editing, save and stop the running server normally. Back up the profile and world. Record the server name so you do not accidentally edit an unused servertest profile.
- In Host → Manage Settings, edit the selected profile and find the sleep server options. For a dedicated server, inspect its active <servername>.ini in the configured Zomboid/Server data location or the provider’s matching controls. A custom cachedir changes where this data lives.
- Set the two options for the desired behavior and save. Start the same profile, check for configuration/startup errors and have the players reconnect.
- At a usable bed or other supported sleeping location, inspect the current context menu and try the sleep action under appropriate character conditions. Confirm the result in game rather than treating a saved checkbox as success.
Server profile INI
SleepAllowed=true
SleepNeeded=trueThe required-sleep choice. Use SleepNeeded=false for optional sleep. Edit only the matching active profile; this is not a chat command.
Source: Aiteron · configure server settings, Build 41 MP · Developer-authored older configuration reference
Sleeping does not give one player a private clock
The official introduction describes server-clock acceleration when all players are asleep. One person going to bed is therefore not the same as skipping the night in a single-player world. Coordinate with the connected group and check for someone who is awake or has just awakened.
The same historical notes describe waking through movement/aiming, other players or zombie attacks. Find a secure place before the test and record whether someone wakes immediately. Exact acceleration, wake duration and current-patch details have not been measured here; check the installed settings and observed clock rather than assuming an old default multiplier.
Source: The Indie Stone · Public Build 34.23 · Historical official release notes
If the sleep action is missing or nothing changes
Change one thing at a time. Reinstalling the client or granting administrator powers to every player does not replace a server setting check.
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| No sleep action after editing | Confirm active profile and restart; compare saved SleepAllowed with the profile the process actually loads. |
| Can rest but cannot sleep | Rest and sleep are different actions. Inspect character state and the selected furniture’s available actions. |
| No tiredness develops | Compare SleepNeeded as well as SleepAllowed; optional sleep is a different configuration from required sleep. |
| Night does not pass quickly | Check the whole connected group and interruptions; sleep permission is not proof that the shared-clock condition was met. |
| Works in a vanilla test but not the main profile | Compare sleep mods, dependencies and their supported patch. Keep the original world backed up and ask the author about that setup. |
Verify the change and retain a recovery path
- Compare the behavior before and after the change in a disposable test world with the same full patch and chosen settings. Record who is connected and the time shown on the shared clock.
- Confirm that the permitted sleep action starts and that players can wake. If testing required sleep, distinguish fatigue from exhaustion, pain or another moodle.
- Perform a normal restart and inspect the saved values again. A host panel that regenerates the profile may overwrite a manual edit.
- If behavior remains inconsistent, preserve the exact profile values, patch, mods and observation for support. Restore the previous backed-up settings for the group if the new mode is unsuitable.
Choose the next branch
Sources & verification
Original checking steps are editorial recommendations. This site has not run a game test or inspected a local 42.21 installation. Source review and page update dates describe different work.
- Aiteron · configure server settings, Build 41 MPRead 8 October 2026. Lists separate SleepAllowed and SleepNeeded server settings and named profile files. Defaults are historical; compare the current generated profile rather than importing this entire INI.
- The Indie Stone · Public Build 34.23Read 8 October 2026. Introduces SleepAllowed/SleepNeeded, shared-clock acceleration when everyone sleeps, and waking through movement/aiming or attacks. Historical behavior needs comparison with the installed patch.