It was aimed to study the effects of α2-adrenoceptor agonists on the sleeping time in one ~ two-day-old chickens. Furthermore, it was also evaluated whether α1-Adrenoceptor agonist and antagonist might affect the sleeping in the chickens and discussed in relation with opiate receptor. 1) Guanabenz, clonidine, guanfacine and B-HT 933 decreased the latency of the loss of righting reflex in a dose-dependent manner, but B-HT 920 and oxymetazoline slightly prolonged it. 2) α2-Adrenoceptor agonists produced dose¡¤related increase in sleeping time. The potency was guanabenz>clonidine>oxymetazoline≥B-HT 933≥B-HT 920>guanfacine in this order. 3) α2-Adrenoceptor antagonists decreased guanabenz-induced sleeping time in a dose ¡¤dependent manner. The rank order of α2-adrenoceptor antagonists was yohimbine>rauwolscine>piperoxan≥RX 781094. 4) Sleeping time caused by both ethanol and hexobarbital was not affected by yohimbine in chickens. 5) Methoxamine and phenylephrine showed little significant effect on the guanabenz-induced sleeping time. However, prazosin increased it. Paradoxically, corynanthine rather caused to decrease it. These results suggest that the stimulation of central α2-adrenoceptor mediates sleeping, however it is remained uncertain in the role of central α1-Adrenoceptor in chickens. In addition, the one~two-day-old chickens may be considered as a useful, inexpensive and simple experimental model to evaluate the in vivo pharmacological action of the α2-adrenoceptor agonist and antagonist related to sedation.