My concern with laying a loaded pistol next to a flashlight and cell phone on top of the nightstand would be if an intruder got in the house before I or the Misses awoke and saw them lying there before I got to them,
If they can defeat layers of locks, doors, alarms, then creep into my room and grab sh$t off my night stand...all without waking me or my wife then, well, I'm being attacked by ninjas and I'm screwed anyway. LOL.
A gun by the bed is only one aspect of home security.