Can't recover from sleep sometimes: "Oh no! Something has gone wrong!"

Question

I'm running gdm + gnome-shell (force fallback mode) on a Thinkpad W520 with intel integrated graphics only (via bios setting, so no optimus). Once a week or so, my Laptop fails to go to sleep properly and to recover from it.
It basically works like this, normally when I close the lid, the sleep LED blinks a couple of times, and then stays on (and you can hear the fan turn off). When sending the laptop to sleep fails, the led blinks indefinitely (like, all night, if you let it), the fan keeps running as well.
Once you open the lid again, you are greeted with the message "ACPI: Unable to dock!" on a black screen. This happens when successfully recovering from sleep mode as well, though.
Shortly afterwards, instead of seeing a password prompt, you see this:
http://wocares.com/host/images/516726_sleeperr1.jpg
I tried to search the problem but couldn't find anything that was quite like my problem. I did however find someone saying the ~/.xsession-errors file could contain clues. So here is that:
/etc/gdm/Xsession: Beginning session setup...
localuser:esl being added to access control list
/etc/gdm/Xsession: Setup done, will execute: /usr/bin/ssh-agent -- gnome-session
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae/ssh
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae/ssh
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae/ssh
GPG_AGENT_INFO=/home/esl/.cache/keyring-JAbzae/gpg:0:1
(gnome-panel:1563): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_accelerator_parse_with_keycode: assertion `accelerator != NULL' failed
** (gnome-panel:1563): WARNING **: Unable to parse mouse modifier '(null)'
Failed to play sound: File or data not found
Initializing tracker-store...
Tracker-Message: Setting up monitor for changes to config file:'/home/esl/.config/tracker/tracker-store.cfg'
** (nm-applet:1585): WARNING **: Could not initialize NMClient /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
** Message: applet now removed from the notification area
** (nm-applet:1585): WARNING **: fetch_connections_done: error fetching connections: (25) Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1.
** (nm-applet:1585): WARNING **: Failed to register as an agent: (25) Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
** (process:1578): WARNING **: Trying to register gtype 'GMountMountFlags' as enum when in fact it is of type 'GFlags'
** Message: Starting applet secret agent because GNOME Shell disappeared
** (nm-applet:1585): WARNING **: Failed to register as an agent: (25) Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
** (process:1578): WARNING **: Trying to register gtype 'GDriveStartFlags' as enum when in fact it is of type 'GFlags'
** (process:1578): WARNING **: Trying to register gtype 'GSocketMsgFlags' as enum when in fact it is of type 'GFlags'
Tracker-Message: Setting up monitor for changes to config file:'/home/esl/.config/tracker/tracker-store.cfg'
** Message: applet now embedded in the notification area
(gnome-settings-daemon:1515): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -8 and height 27
(nm-applet:1585): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -23 and height 27
** Message: applet now removed from the notification area
Starting log:
File:'/home/esl/.local/share/tracker/tracker-store.log'
(notification-daemon:1608): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -23 and height 27
Any help or pointers in the right direction would be appreciated.

Answer 1

I'm having the same problem as you on a T420 (without optimus), see here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1131177