Mitzi is 9 y.o. and sleeps in the big bed ever since my husband brought her home. We share the bed equally: she occupies one half and we have the other half...

She was 4 when I got married to my husband and I had some adjusting to do. Now we have the problem that
I can't sleep when Mitzi is not here

.
Maybe you could give him a big soft stuffed animal to cuddle on in his crate and put the crate where he can see you. If the crate is the problem maybe you could get him a baby playpen.
BTW I couldn't bare the crying. He would be in our bed at the first cry.