diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c624bc1d..1af14989 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -530,8 +530,8 @@ Send for example `8386` as Downlink on Port 2 to get battery status and time/dat
 
 0x19 set sleep cycle
 
-	0 ... 255 device sleep cycle in seconds/2
-	e.g. 120 -> device sleeps 240 seconds after each send cycle [default = 0]
+	bytes 1..2 = device sleep cycle in seconds/10 (MSB)
+	e.g. {0x04, 0xB0} -> device sleeps 20 minutes after each send cycle [default = 0]
 
 0x20 load device configuration
 
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ Send for example `8386` as Downlink on Port 2 to get battery status and time/dat
 
 0x88 set time/date
 
-	bytes 1..4 = time/date to set in UTC epoch seconds (LSB, e.g. https://www.epochconverter.com/hex)
+	bytes 1..4 = time/date to set in UTC epoch seconds (MSB, e.g. https://www.epochconverter.com/hex)
 	
 # License
 
diff --git a/include/globals.h b/include/globals.h
index 950d21b1..3c7ae9ea 100644
--- a/include/globals.h
+++ b/include/globals.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ typedef struct __attribute__((packed)) {
   uint8_t countermode; // 0=cyclic unconfirmed, 1=cumulative, 2=cyclic confirmed
   int16_t rssilimit;   // threshold for rssilimiter, negative value!
   uint8_t sendcycle;   // payload send cycle [seconds/2]
-  uint8_t sleepcycle;  // sleep cycle [seconds/2]
+  uint16_t sleepcycle; // sleep cycle [seconds/10]
   uint8_t wifichancycle; // wifi channel switch cycle [seconds/100]
   uint8_t blescantime;   // BLE scan cycle duration [seconds]
   uint8_t blescan;       // 0=disabled, 1=enabled
diff --git a/src/configmanager.cpp b/src/configmanager.cpp
index 5ef3c41f..ceccfcdc 100644
--- a/src/configmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/configmanager.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static void defaultConfig(configData_t *myconfig) {
       COUNTERMODE;                 // 0=cyclic, 1=cumulative, 2=cyclic confirmed
   myconfig->rssilimit = 0;         // threshold for rssilimiter, negative value!
   myconfig->sendcycle = SENDCYCLE; // payload send cycle [seconds/2]
-  myconfig->sleepcycle = SLEEPCYCLE; // sleep cycle [seconds/2]
+  myconfig->sleepcycle = SLEEPCYCLE; // sleep cycle [seconds/10]
   myconfig->wifichancycle =
       WIFI_CHANNEL_SWITCH_INTERVAL; // wifi channel switch cycle [seconds/100]
   myconfig->blescantime =
diff --git a/src/irqhandler.cpp b/src/irqhandler.cpp
index 244910ad..89bd4c23 100644
--- a/src/irqhandler.cpp
+++ b/src/irqhandler.cpp
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ void irqHandler(void *pvParameters) {
       // goto sleep if we have a sleep cycle
       if (cfg.sleepcycle)
 #ifdef HAS_BUTTON
-        enter_deepsleep(cfg.sleepcycle * 2, (gpio_num_t)HAS_BUTTON);
+        enter_deepsleep(cfg.sleepcycle * 10, (gpio_num_t)HAS_BUTTON);
 #else
-        enter_deepsleep(cfg.sleepcycle * 2);
+        enter_deepsleep(cfg.sleepcycle * 10);
 #endif
     }
   } // for
diff --git a/src/paxcounter_orig.conf b/src/paxcounter_orig.conf
index 05246eab..3140b45f 100644
--- a/src/paxcounter_orig.conf
+++ b/src/paxcounter_orig.conf
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 // Payload send cycle and encoding
 #define SENDCYCLE                       30      // payload send cycle [seconds/2], 0 .. 255
-#define SLEEPCYCLE                      0       // sleep time after a send cycle [seconds/2], 0 .. 255; 0 means no sleep [default = 0]
+#define SLEEPCYCLE                      0       // sleep time after a send cycle [seconds/10], 0 .. 65535; 0 means no sleep [default = 0]
 #define PAYLOAD_ENCODER                 2       // payload encoder: 1=Plain, 2=Packed, 3=Cayenne LPP dynamic, 4=Cayenne LPP packed
 #define COUNTERMODE                     0       // 0=cyclic, 1=cumulative, 2=cyclic confirmed
 
diff --git a/src/rcommand.cpp b/src/rcommand.cpp
index 454102cf..0fd2c933 100644
--- a/src/rcommand.cpp
+++ b/src/rcommand.cpp
@@ -68,9 +68,11 @@ void set_sendcycle(uint8_t val[]) {
 }
 
 void set_sleepcycle(uint8_t val[]) {
-  cfg.sleepcycle = val[0];
+  // swap byte order from msb to lsb, note: this is a platform dependent hack
+  uint16_t t = __builtin_bswap16(*(uint16_t *)(val));
+  cfg.sleepcycle = t;
   ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Remote command: set sleep cycle to %d seconds",
-           cfg.sleepcycle * 2);
+           cfg.sleepcycle * 10);
 }
 
 void set_wifichancycle(uint8_t val[]) {
@@ -435,7 +437,7 @@ static const cmd_t table[] = {
     {0x13, set_sensor, 2},        {0x14, set_payloadmask, 1},
     {0x15, set_bme, 1},           {0x16, set_batt, 1},
     {0x17, set_wifiscan, 1},      {0x18, set_enscount, 1},
-    {0x19, set_sleepcycle, 1},    {0x20, set_loadconfig, 0},
+    {0x19, set_sleepcycle, 2},    {0x20, set_loadconfig, 0},
     {0x21, set_saveconfig, 0},    {0x80, get_config, 0},
     {0x81, get_status, 0},        {0x83, get_batt, 0},
     {0x84, get_gps, 0},           {0x85, get_bme, 0},