A method for choosing the sequence of bursts of an access pattern in the primary network of a cognitive wireless network comprising a primary and a secondary network, wherein this access pattern comprises an alternation of listen periods and signaling transmission periods, these periods having various lengths; comprises the steps of computing a random integer X, and then generating a sequence of bursts corresponding to the computed random integer X. In a peculiar embodiment, the random integer X has a geometric distribution with a given probability p.