There's a joy to napping; an art or pleasure too, perhaps. Who hasn't enjoyed the odd 40 winks, on or off the job? History is littered with nappers – as well as modern-day despisers of sleep such as Thomas Edison or Margaret Thatcher.

Other countries have long since practised the art of napping, from the Mediterranean siesta to napping cultures such as India and Japan.

So is napping a solution to the pressures and demands of modern life? Well, maybe. It is certainly undergoing a makeover these days as a "smart" option in the 24/7 society, given the costs and consequences of sleep deprivation. Napping is also becoming respectable, if not an officially sanctioned practice, in some modern workplaces. Hence the advent of the power nap, the napping pod and other sleep-friendly policies, such as duvet days for bleary-eyed employees.

A more positive valuation of sleep is certainly long overdue. To sell sleep in primarily productive terms, however, is surely symptomatic of our problematic relationship with sleep these days.

So here's to a life well-slept – not just in service of a productive work ethic, but in the interests of health, happiness, pleasure, wisdom and virtue.

Simon J Williams is the author of The Politics of Sleep (Palgrave Macmillan, £18.99). Visit theschooloflife.com