The invention relates to a method for the automatic control of a ventilator machine, in which successive changeovers from one to the other are made between two phases of ventilation (inspiration and expiration) by, in one phase of ventilation, causing a control unit to examine a sensed signal for breathing activity for a threshold criterion for the changeover to the next phase of ventilation and changing over from one phase of ventilation to the other when the threshold criterion is met, the control unit also being arranged to control the ventilator unit of the ventilator machine at the changeover to the new phase of ventilation in such a way that a pneumatic ventilation parameter (airway pressure, flow) is moved from an actual value to a target value for the new phase of ventilation which is set in advance, characterised in that the control unit is also arranged to divide the change in the breathing parameter from the actual value to the target value into a plurality of part-stages at the changeover of the phase of ventilation and, after each part-stage, to again examine the current signal for breathing activity for the threshold criterion responsible for the triggering of the current changeover and, if this threshold criterion is no longer met, to jump back automatically to the state of operation of the ventilator machine before the last changeover, or otherwise to continue to the next part-stage.
