Puppy suddenly crying in crate

I have an 8 month old Brussel Griffon named Alfie. When I got him at 4 months, he was already crate-trained. He did very well in his crate from the start. He would go in there whenever he couldn't be watched, and it was his place for bedtime. Alfie was very patient in his crate and would wait quietly throughout the night until it was time for me and my boyfriend to get up.

Once he hit about 6 months old, things started to change. Alfie still goes in his crate for bedtime, but around 7 am, he starts to whine and rattle his crate. My alarm goes off at about 7:45, but he never seems to want to wait for it. I'm not sure if Alfie is doing this because he has to go potty, or if he is just bored, or what. When I let him out of his crate, he doesn't run right to the door, he slobbers me with kisses for 5 minutes. So I'm not positive it's potty-related. I was wondering if anyone had any insight.

What's the best way to remedy this situation? Is there a way to stop him from crying?