How to keep sex naughty: many couples a lust lull after six months, but badass tricks roll ensure your bedroom stays ablaze.(LOVE AND LUST)

During the first few months of a relationship, a couple usually can be found in one of two places: her bedroom or his. And for good reason: During that delicious early phase of dating, the sex is ultranew, ultrafrequent, and in many eases, ultrahot.

But around the six-month mark, that searing level of heat begins to cool--for both partners--as their bond deepens. "While you may be growing closer as a couple, the initial rush of hormones calms down, and your body and brain start behaving differently," says certified sex therapist Darcy Luadzers, PhD, author of The 10-Minute Sexual Solution: A Busy Couple's Guide to Having More Fun, Intimacy, and Sex.

When that shift happens, it's hard not to be bummed. (Remember the first time you slept in the same bed with your guy and actually, well, slept?) Thankfully, it's not a sign that the chemistry has evaporated--just a reminder that, to keep your lust life scorching long term, you have to expend a little erotic energy. Here, the sexual setbacks most couples face and expert advice on how to keep the passion ignited.

SEX STAGE

Six Months

When you first get together ...