There was a recent article about a man shooting someone who had broken into his home, was naked, and strangling the home owner's dog. Perhaps he could have called the police and waited for them to arrive. Perhaps he could have scared the intruder off. Or perhaps they were drugged out of their mind and would have attacked him and eaten his face off.
I dunno that it's easy to dismiss and say there's no such thing as a need for a gun for self defense. I don't own one myself. Then again, I've also spent the night in a lesser reputable apt complex with the door unlocked multiple times and left my house unlocked overnight by accident a few times with no ill result. I live life on the edge. Rawr.
Alternative to a safe that I saw suggested and was amused by:
Keep your gun on the nightstand, disassembled and be capable of assembling and having ready to fire, in the dark, in under 8 seconds.