I am doing quite well with waking up a little earlier every day because I do have a perfect, and perfectly restful nap later on, if I need to. One of my favourite descriptions of a nap is Iris Murdoch’s “Two days for the price of one,” in “The Good Apprentice.”

I also love Thomas Edison’s way of working– he had a couch in his lab, and would steal a nap whenever he was tired, and then get back to work, fresh and green.

Getting up with the sun has been a holy grail for me all my life, and I am now getting closer to achieving this, through the habit of stealing a nap or two when I am tired, so that when I do read, or write, or talk to my family and friends, I am fresh and full of beans. (Though not overwhelmingly so, I hope).

Of course, working at home makes this a lot easier.