puppy suddenly wont settle at night

[KittyLane1]

6 month old German Shepherd girl, previously slept in a cage all night no problem at all, however about 4 weeks ago she outgrew her cage and because she isn't a destructive girl we agreed to let her sleep downstairs without one.

Round about the same time she went into season which took us by surprise because the vet said she was small for her age and breed and wouldn't go into season before 9 months :/

Ever since all of this happened she won't settle at night. She barks and howls and it drives me mad. I would be happy to ignore her as she doesn't wake DH or DD but I'm worried about the neighbour so I have been sleeping on the couch beside her. I'm exhausted please five advice on what to do

Could she be hearing more outside noises and find it hard to settle now she's out of the crate? Our rescue 8 month old GSD used to bark at night, the slightest sound would trigger him off. We got a DAP diffuser (Pets at Home said they'd refund cost if it didn't work) and left a radio on low and after 2 nights the barking stopped.

Would you consider getting her a larger crate?

GSDs can be sensitive souls and she might feel more secure with a crate to seek sanctuary in.

It's common for bitches to become unsettled around their seasons as well and she'll be dealing with all the hormonal changes in her body, which on top of losing her crate is a lot for her to deal with.