Python – How to delay few seconds

By mkyong | Updated: September 22, 2015

Viewed: 1,278 (+89 pv/w)

Tags: python sleep time

In Python, you can use time.sleep(seconds) to make the current executing Python program to sleep or delay a few seconds.

import time

time.sleep(1) # delays for 1 seconds
time.sleep(10) # delays for 10 seconds
time.sleep(60) # delays for 1 minute
time.sleep(3600) # delays for 1 hour

Full example.

import time
    
def main():
    
    while True:
        print("DateTime " + time.strftime("%c"))
        time.sleep(1) # delays for 1 seconds

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Output

DateTime 09/22/15 18:03:42
DateTime 09/22/15 18:03:43
DateTime 09/22/15 18:03:44
DateTime 09/22/15 18:03:45
DateTime 09/22/15 18:03:46
DateTime 09/22/15 18:03:47
#...

References

1. Python time module