A device classifies access or control channel signals into a first class or a second class, initializes a dormancy timer associated with the device, and sets the dormancy timer to a default value. The device also sets a signal target utilization threshold, receives actual signals via the access or control channel, and identifies, when a number of the actual signals exceeds the signal target utilization threshold, a particular signal, from the actual signals, as belonging to the first class or the second class. The device further increases the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the first class, and decreases the default value of the dormancy timer when the particular signal belongs to the second class.