Bingo! I agree completely, Mouse.

My 50 liter pack has no bottom compartment or zipper; just one large top-loading compartment. My shelter rides on top of the load; in camp, it goes up first, then I work toward the bottom. Stove and food go on the ground in or near the vestibule. Rain suit and spare socks (the sum total of the clothing in my pack in the summer) goes in the tent, up in the head area. That brings me to my pad, which I then inflate and place in the tent. The only thing left in the pack is the sleeping bag, which goes on top of the pad. The stuff in the outside pockets and lid gets unloaded last (headlamp, water filter, first aid kit, toilet paper, and water bottles go in the tent or beside the kitchen, as needed.) Then the empty pack goes in the vestibule.

If I brought additional clothes, they consist of insulating garments, which ride near the top of the pack and get put on as I take them out.

However, there are still plenty of packs with sleeping bag compartments: Gregory, Deuter, and Osprey all make them, and I'm sure other makers with whom I'm not familiar also offer them. They aren't the true ultralight packs, but they are probably several pounds lighter than the load monster you're carrying now.