The invention relates to a method for automatically switching off an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, in particular in a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission, by means of a stop/start device, which initiates measures for automatically switching off the internal combustion engine if the vehicle has been braked to a stop and advantageously held at a stop by actuation of the brake pedal for a predefined time interval. The invention is characterized in that the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine is changed, in particular reduced, at a defined point in time before the measures for automatically switching off the internal combustion engine are initiated.