We have lots of light outside like many of you have mentioned. One thing my wife and I do is close the window shades right before dark. Theory being that it will be harder to gain intel on our location, belongings and layout.
I call it “Rigging the House for Night Ops”. Lol
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In our house we have a little let night light in each room it comes on when the lights are turned off for the night. Puts out enough light to keep you from bumping in to the furniture.
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I have a night light centrally located in the public areas of the house, to see well enough to move around without injury, and a night light in the master bath. No outside lights remain on at night. There are lights on all guns I would grab at 3a.m.
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Roger that on the weapon lights. I see the lights as a type of defensive weapon in their own right.
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Here’s another thing to consider. Learned this at the range one day from another range worker who had learned about this from a felon. Apparently, it’s quite common knowledge in prisons that B&E criminals (breaking and entering) routinely pass by homes that are flying the American flag. It’s seen as a sign that the occupant is probably a veteran, and you just KNOW that as veterans, we not only know how to use a firearm, but are most likely to actually use one. Fly her proudly.
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Lights on or off has been discussed above.
Mention in the OP was whether a bad guy will use a flashlight.
Most of the time they won’t or minimally to just pop it on to see if there are valuables in a vehicle parked in the driveway or the street.
Bad guys use ambient light, so street lights mostly.
The next best thing is moonlight. You won’t have a lot of activity during a new moon or late waning.
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Motion sensors outside. No lights inside. I have a flash light and they will know where I am when they see the flame
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Motion lighting is your friend.
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I don’t want to have mess with a flashlight or weapon mounted light. I don’t want to complicate my task, or present a target. I do have a laser on my bedside weapon.
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I have a light on the front door that lights up when you walk close. I just like to imagine a bad guy sneaking and jumping at the site of the light 
. We don’t keep lights on at night when we’re home. If we leave for town we’ll leave one on though so it looks like someone’s home. I think the biggest indicator of us being home is our vehicles are parked out front.
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Remember, you must have positive identification. Proper use of a flashlight with a button activation is something to consider. One of my students almost shot his daughters boyfriend sneaking in his patio door one night. Luckily he had a flashlight.
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I think my son would shoot to protect his daughter at that point… 
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Brad, let’s look at house for momment. Use your imagination ! One reason I like a dark home at night, No one can stand in my yard in the dark unseen looking in my Windows while lights on studying the layout of my home, counting how many inside, are they young? or old, how many woman. A person can get an idea of these things before breaking in. Now a dark house no lights on inside.Put the lights outside so you can stand back from your window and look at them and study them while holding your weapon that they can’t see, in the dark! Mount cameras outside so you will picture to show the police
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Let’s see… we have a sodium night light over my shop, night lights on all sides of the house, motion detecting lights in 8 different areas of the yard and 6 motion detected cameras all around the house. No lights left on inside except for bathroom night lights. There’s enough light shinning in the windows from outside to light up enough areas inside to see where to walk. The Glock19 has a light and laser on it as does the Mossberg 88 12 ga. But the best detection device is Jack, our rat terrier. If anyone even walks close to any door he will bark till told to stop.
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Sounds a little like the Griswald’s! 
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I think they were referring to lights outside however, I have lights inside my house on timers that go on and off at different times and I have motion detectors on all the outside lights as well as a SimpliSafe Video Doorbell.
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I prefer to use motion detection lights on the outside and the range light on the inside.
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I have motion sensor lights on the front and back yards plus motion sensor cams (IR) on all sides giving me a quick look see from our cell phones. Also I keep the bushes trimmed low so as not to give cover.
As far as flashlights go, we, (wife and I) use the FBI hold…that is where the light is held above and off set from center in the non dominant hand. The reason being is because the intruder may fire at the light source of blinded or in a panic.
If you prefer to use a long gun then by all means use a mounted light because both hands will be busy.
My knuckle headed cats start doing their nocturnal thing so they trigger some motion sensor I.R. cams I have down stairs. That is also why I like to lD the target so I don’t send one of my little “friends” to cat heaven.
Zmodo makes some good wifi wireless cams that you can access on your network wether you are at home or on the road. You can set them up to let you know if they’ve been triggered. Even if the intruder disableds a cam… it’s too late. The cam has already sent me an email with a 13 sec video as soon as motion is detected.
Clint Smith from Thunder Ranch (YouTube) has some fun videos on this stuff. He is a bit rough around the edges but you just gotta like the guy and trust me he has “walked the walk” the man gets my undivided attention…he has paid the dues.
Sorry to go on and on.
-Mark 123-
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I heard if you light up the outside of your house the robbers will leave you alone because they have a better chance of getting arrested by being seen breaking in.
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We keep totally dark and live a good distance from road. I have, in addition to loaded firearms at hand, the super bright CREE bulb flashlights that have super blinding flash mode. If someone does (highly unlikely) does manage to get it the blinding flash would disorient them; the red laser on their chest should also give pause for cause. This is how we do it, totally dark.
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