Surely you mean we got to rest a lot more?
Well it is actually all related. You get to LHR at 6am on a 24hr layover, sleep for a couple of hours then get up so you can try to sleep in the evening prior to the early wakeup. Go for a late lunch, maybe go into town to try to stay awake, then have a meal and try to sleep.
A 48 hr layover arriving at the same time, maybe sleep for a bit longer on arrival, get up go into town, have a meal and a few drinks, go to sleep and wake up when you wake up, next day is yours. Go do stuff, stay busy, visit friends or family, get an early night that is now more normal due to already being on that time zone for 30hrs.
Of course you get more rest but you also get more time to do things, it is about being able to actually plan your rest rather than having to try to force sleep and wake ups on a 24hr layover.