IBM G40 laptop screen goes blank

Running Ubuntu 8.4.4 on an IBM G40 P4 3.0 with 512 etc...

No problems other than one.....When I'm using the OS in any state and I close the lid and lift it back up the screen goes blank and nothing I try will bring it back. The only way to get back to my OS is to do a dirty shutdown and restart and hope that I'm not dumb enough to close the screen.

Is this a setting issue with my IBM (bios) or with my OS (Ubuntu)??

Thanks for the advice..

Anyone??