Lots of activities we think of as time-wasting aren't that at all. Facebook might be an important way of getting some down-time in a busy day. Chatting at the school gate builds a community, while waiting for the GP at least can give you time to catch up on a book. But lurking in your day are probably pockets of truly dead time. Time-wasters that have no benefit at all.
There's practically no element of success that's not improved by sleep and, accordingly, diminished by lack of sleep. Creativity, ingenuity, confidence, leadership, decision making - all of these can be enhanced simply by sleeping more...But of course, getting more sleep is easier said than done -- believe me, I know! This is especially true in a culture that's wired and connected 24/7. And more and more science is proving the truth that screens and sleep are natural enemies.
What does Gove want us back to? He wants young people today to get bogged down in minutiae of detail and take their eye off the goal. He wants worker drones with no sense of their own capabilities and intelligence. He doesn't want people to solve problems, he wants clerks to write down sums in a book, perhaps to help balance the national deficit.