If one lives alone, or in the same bedroom with his wife if he is married, and if his children's bedrooms are in the same part of the house and can be defended in common from one strong position, he has the ideal situation for self defense. The same applies if someone is able to build a safe room where everyone can retreat to. Staying in your bed room/safe room during the night, or defending a good room from a static position is the best, tactically and legally. Not only is it the best of all defense situations, choosing cover, cleared field of fire, "death funnel", not giving away your position, it also gives the ability make noise and shout verbal commands without direct risk.

From your static position away from the action, you can make noise and perhaps give away your general area of the house, but not give away your exact position in case the intruder wants to go all the way. You can make sure he knows someone is in the house, that people are alerted, and depending on the situation, might here your verbal commands and threats to leave. This will allow you to verbally warn and chase off an intruder from a safe position without danger or direct confrontation. If you give off your general location, so be it; if the intruder ignores your commands, accepts the risk of attacking defenders in the house, and comes AFTER you, it speaks well of your legal position. He may know you and yours might be in your bedroom, saferoom, or strategic location or hallway, but he won't know exactly where. When he kicks down the door or rushes to attack you, you still have the advantage.

Huge second on the ambient lighting. Not only is it good for general safety when people are roaming the house in the dark, a well lit house may appear occupied, and offers you the best lighting situation for self defense. You can see things in your house if you have to investigate without a flashlight in most scenarios, and without having to give away your exact location. Better visuals of the situation makes it safer for everyone when you can see things and people more carefully, easier to tell who it is from general lighting than the poor visual offered by a flashlight in the dark.

Flashlights are useful and sometimes the best choice, but its also good to remember that their ability to disorientate only works when you shine it in people's faces head on, and indeed, from the flank, does not do any good to you, and may only give away your exact position to an intruder who wants to commit violence. Indeed, some burglaries do turn into shoot outs when intruders don't just get spooked and run, and being flanked in your house while trying to clear it single handedly is a bad position, even worse if your flashlight illuminates you and gives the panicked attacker the first shot.

In any case, the safest legal and tactical choice is to attempt to take up a defensive position, warn, and if the attacker comes to you, blaze away. Giving away your general position with verbal commands and gun racking might be alright, but giving away your exact position at the moment of an in house battle is foolish.