Crate training 9 wk old puppy

[Suuudohnym]

We've been taking it in turns to sleep downstairs with her (us on sofa, her in bed on floor). Rouses 2/3 times a night to check we're there - quick stroke and back to sleep. Sometime in the night she quietly gets up to wee and poo on the floor - she doesn't let us know she needs to go in the night. During the day, toileting is pretty good - we take her out after waking/playing/eating or she fusses when she needs to go - we usually get a result in the garden. She gets a treat & praise.

I'm just wondering how we start moving to being able to let her sleep independently. I'd prefer her to sleep downstairs but understand this needs to be a gradual process and am wondering if we need to start moving to a crate? If so:

1. Do you just start putting her in the crate at night (obvs get her used to it first with treats/toys/making it nice for her etc), sleeping next to her but gradually moving your 'bed' further away (I'm not sure what I'd sleep on as I can't move the sofa!)

2. Do you put a puppy pad in there in case of accidents? If she wees in the house, she tends to go on a pad but poos on the floor (we totally ignore toileting in the house, but praise it in the garden). She's so small, I don't know how she'd hold it in all night?

3. Or would you get up in the night and take her in the garden?

Thanks @Ecrire I’ve already been approved by the group and am reading the guides now.

Yes, I definitely don’t want her crying like that again.

If she's so distressed she's screaming and howling, she needs someone with her overnight still. She's only tiny - lots of breeds are still with their mum and siblings at that age, so expecting her to happily settle alone overnight in a crate just isn't very realistic.

We would have lay next to the crate for the 3/4am waking until she fell back asleep.

She hated being left, we started at one minute, then built up from there. We also did a lot of leaving the doors open and wandering around the house ignoring the puppy so she learnt us leaving was actually quite boring.

Thank you @FerrisWheelsandLilacs
It’s just occurred to me that when she woke at 3/4am the other night, when I was sleeping in the same room as her, she also went a bit crazy and couldn’t settle, even though I was right next to her the whole time. I’m wondering if it’s a tiredness thing?

Like she’s had a good stretch of sleep up to that point but the toileting has woken her up a bit so she’s awake but sleepy still and can’t deal with it - like an overtired baby!?

In any case, I plan to try cuddling her and staying there till she’s asleep tonight. Let’s see how it goes. God, I feel like I have a newborn again!!!