I recommend keeping a few ladders, a jaded trap door, and some jack’o lanterns in your backpack.
If caught out late, dig into the nearest body of water and have a lovely little cave. That’s where most of the safehouses came from.
OTOH if you’re in the jungle, take to a tall tree at night. Vines are everywhere, no ladder needed. The tree top leaves are really safe because mobs don’t spawn on them. In the morning, you can jump from tree to tree to evade the brute squad under the tree.