This subject has come up on another thread.
To me, if I'm serious about needing a pistol for HD, then it is loaded with a round in the chamber.
I know myself well enough that I am not going to be able to wake up from a sound sleep and start loading the thing and racking it.
What assumptions are being made in that situation? That you become aware of an intruder the very first second he enters your house?
To each his own, but my opinion is that if you feel that you can load your pistol for HD, then you've already made a threat assesment of what you're going to be facing. Hopefully reality doesn't run contrary to your assumptions.