Just go ahead and sleep in the recliner! It's less expensive than one of those new beds you mentioned plus you have far more adjustability. I've slept in a recliner now for nearly 20 years (for reasons other than TN) and it is one of the things that has saved me and enabled me to sleep when the TN sets in. If you are getting a new one, my suggestions are:
Don't skimp on features.
Try before you buy; one with a really puffy head area cushion will bend your neck forward and you will get worse instead of better.
Get one with a lever instead of a button or a pull tab.
Get one that is upholstered completely under the area from the end of the foot rest to the chair. This will eliminate drafts and painful gaps.
Some of us are just not destined to sleep flat in a bed. It causes pain, nerve pinching, swelling, etc. In fact, I think the world would be a better place if we all slept in recliners or reclining beds.
I also have TN and GN and have great difficulty sleeping due to the pain and swelling. We purchased a regular sleep number bed last year hoping it would help but it has not. I wish we had purchased the one that allows you to adjust the head position because that seems to be my problem. I can not lie flat because the GN will flare up and I feel like I am choking! I too have tried several different pillows. The one pillow I have found that helps a little is a memory foam that has a rolled area for your neck to keep your head in position. This has helped sometimes but I am a side sleeper and when I roll over it is not always comfortable. I hope you find something that works for you!
I teach prenatal yoga, and how to sleep is one of the biggest questions for expecting moms. As it so happens, due to an old car accident and neck injury and now TN I have to apply the methods to myself.
So -- the easiest solution for those of you who can only sleep on one side is to sleep on a sofa, with your back to the back support rise. This will give you something to lean into, so you can feel like you are supported.
IF you want to try this in bed, get a firm king size pillow and position it behind your back and really snug into it. It will keep you from rolling over.
I also put a pillow between my legs -- thin and long, as this helps stabilize my sleep position and takes pressure off the hips.
Now for the head and neck. I use two pillows that fit into the space between my ear and shoulder -- it is different for each person. The bottom pillow if firm, to provide a "base" and the top pillow is squishy, so it can mold around my head and neck. The important part is to get the right combination to fill in that space comfortably. I have rather wide shoulders.
Finally, a soft squishy pillow to tuck under my upper arm.
I know it seems incredibly detailed and maybe even silly, but this is what has worked for me.
Lately I'm finding I have to be super careful to not have anything touching my face, especially sheets as the light touch of a sheet is very uncomfortable.
I use a maternity pillow so I’m upright and on my back. I’ve always slept on my side but not if I’m on my side I’ll wake up in agony. It also seems to help if I’m more upright again to stop me from waking up with an attack.