Ferber

Ferber is a surname of likely Germanic origin that has appeared in American and other English-language contexts. It is associated with several notable individuals, including Edna Ferber, an American novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner, and Richard Ferber, a physician recognized for his work in pediatric sleep medicine.

Edna Ferber (1885–1968) was a prominent American writer whose novels and plays addressed social issues and American life. Her novel So Big won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924, and Cimarron, adapted from her work, was a notable early American film. Ferber also authored Show Boat, a 1926 novel that became a significant musical in American theater. Her writings contributed to discussions of gender, class, and modern urban experience in the United States.

Richard Ferber is a physician known for his work in pediatric sleep medicine and for popularizing a structured approach to infant sleep training. He has written on child sleep issues and is frequently cited in discussions of nonpharmacologic strategies to improve infant and toddler sleep. The method commonly associated with his name is often referred to as the Ferber method.

The Ferber method, described in Ferber’s writings, advocates a form of graduated extinction or controlled comforting to teach infants to fall asleep and return to sleep independently. The approach involves allowing brief periods of crying with periodic, brief check-ins, increasing intervals over time. It remains controversial: proponents argue it can reduce bedtime and night-wake problems, while critics raise concerns about anxiety and parental stress. Guidance varies by age and individual child needs, and many pediatricians emphasize alternative or complementary sleep-support strategies.