There's no universal "wait" button — you need a rest point. Here's exactly how to pass time using bonfires, beds, and quest prompts on PC, Xbox, and PS5, plus the cooldown rule and every fix for when it won't work.
Find a bonfire, cooking pot, or bed → aim your camera directly at the fire/pot → hold the interact button → the Wait menu appears → choose 3, 6, or 12 hours → time advances. You cannot simply press a button anywhere — you must be at a valid rest point.
Scattered throughout the wilderness, settlements, and camps across Pywel. Approach the fire or cooking pot, aim your camera directly at it (the prompt is camera-sensitive — looking slightly away hides it), then hold the Wait button. This is the fastest and most reliable method — no bed required.
Use your own camp bed or any unoccupied bed in towns. Interact to sleep, then choose your duration (3/6/12 hours). Sleeping may also restore health or apply a rested bonus. If you don't see the sleep prompt, the bed might be occupied or you may still be on cooldown from a recent rest.
When a quest requires a specific time of day (e.g. "meet contact at midnight"), an hourglass icon ⏳ may appear near the quest marker. Select it and the game automatically advances time to meet the quest requirement — no bonfire needed. This only appears for certain quests and cannot be triggered manually.
| Action | PC | Xbox | PS5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trigger Wait/Sleep Prompt | Aim camera at fire/pot/bed → Hold CTRL | Aim camera → Hold LB | Aim camera → Hold L1 |
| Select Time Skip Duration | Click option (3/6/12h) | D-pad or Left Stick → A to confirm | D-pad or Left Stick → X to confirm |
| Quest Time Skip | Press prompted key at hourglass icon | Press prompted button at hourglass icon | Press prompted button at hourglass icon |
| Duration | Best For |
|---|---|
| 3 Hours | Small time adjustments — shift from day to evening, or wait for a vendor to refresh |
| 6 Hours | Half-day skip — flip from daytime to nighttime or vice versa |
| 12 Hours | Full day/night flip — morning to night, or night to morning |
You cannot spam the wait mechanic. After waiting or sleeping, a cooldown of roughly 10 in-game hours activates before you can wait again. If you see the message "Now is not the time to sleep" or the Wait prompt won't appear, the cooldown is still active. Continue playing, explore, or fight — the cooldown ticks down as time passes naturally.
| Goal | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| 🌙 Night-only events & enemies | Wait until evening/night — certain quests, NPCs, and enemies only appear after dark |
| 🏪 Vendor inventory refresh | Skip to the next day — vendors restock after a day cycle |
| ⚔️ Avoid traveling at night | Wait until morning — nighttime travel is more dangerous with tougher enemies |
| 📋 Quest time requirements | Use the quest hourglass prompt if available; otherwise wait at a bonfire until the required time |
| ⏸️ General time skip | Bonfire is faster than bed — use bonfires/cooking pots for quick skips when you don't need a rested bonus |
| # | Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Now is not the time to sleep" | Cooldown is active — you waited too recently | Wait for 10 in-game hours to pass naturally. Continue playing — the cooldown ticks down as you explore, fight, or travel. |
| 2 | No prompt at bonfire/bed | Camera not aimed correctly at the fire/pot | Adjust your camera to look directly at the fire or cooking pot. The prompt is camera-sensitive — even a slight angle hides it. |
| 3 | Can't interact with bed | Bed is occupied or not interactable | Try another bed. Not all beds in the world are usable — camp beds and beds in settlements with NPCs are the most reliable ones. |
| 4 | No wait option anywhere (early game) | Rest mechanic may not be unlocked yet | Progress the main story. The resting mechanic typically unlocks early in the campaign — follow the main quest if you haven't seen a bonfire prompt yet. |
| 5 | Wait option blocked during quest | Active quest has its own time-skip trigger | Check your quest marker for an hourglass icon ⏳. If present, use that instead — the quest may have locked manual waiting to prevent sequence breaks. |
| 6 | Skip time bug — time didn't change | Possible visual bug or cooldown overlap | Fast travel to a different region and try a different bonfire. If the issue persists, save and reload. This typically resolves any stuck time-skip states. |