That's what I do--a short pad. I generally sleep on my side curled up in the fetal position, so a full-length pad is wasted on me.

I also was extremely uncomfortable on the NeoAir. It certainly isn't "rated best" by everyone! It seems that everyone either loves it or (as with me) hates it! The horizontal baffles "bucked me off" every time I turned over. I strongly recommend you spend some time on the floor of the store with several different pads. When you get the new pad home, try it out on the floor for 2-3 nights before you decide whether it's a keeper.