Micro sleep techniques in star topology sidelink communications

An apparatus for wireless communications implemented by a second user equipment (UE), comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory coupled with the processor,
• wherein the memory comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• receive, from a first UE, a slot format indication that indicates respective operation modes for sidelink communications in a set of slots, each operation mode selected from a set of operation modes;
• and
• communicate, based at least in part on the receiving the slot format indication, with the first UE in one or more slots of the set of slots based at least in part on a first operation mode corresponding to a first subset of the set of slots and a second operation mode corresponding to a second subset of the set of slots, wherein the second UE is operable to enter a sleep mode in at least a portion of a slot of the second subset of slots corresponding to the second operation mode based at least in part on a quantity of data associated with transmitting one or more second sidelink transmissions to the first UE being less than a threshold.