A method is disclosed for transmitting messages in a communications network with at least three communications nodes. At least one communications node always remains active and stores messages sent by a second communications node. If the second communications node switches to an idle state, the caching node is informed thereof by means of a sleep-event and takes over the sending of the messages for this node. By means of a wake-up event, the caching node obtains information that the second node has switched back into the active state and ceases sending the stored messages. Further nodes, which likewise can switch to the idle state at any time and possibly not receive messages sent by the second node during their own idle phase, thus do not notice anything about the idle state of the second node and operate on the assumption of an up-to-date status in the network at all times.