A good-sized, substantial, soft PILLOW. My sleeping pad was OK but I never really found a satisfactory substitute for my pillow at home. Forget stuff sacks with spare clothes in them – you might as well use a log. Even my soft poly vest in a stuff sack didn’t really cut it.
Might be a good topic for a thread: “How well did you sleep on the trail? How were your sleeping habits different from those when you’re home?”
Snowbird