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The excuse: I have a headache

If it’s a true headache—and not code for "I just don’t feel like doing it"—getting it on may help.

"Research has shown that good, satisfying sex has analgesic properties," Resnick says. Translation: It can make your dome stop throbbing!

But it can’t be obligatory, just-lie-there sex. "It’s the pleasure aspect that’s the pain reliever," Resnick explains. You don’t have to climax, but if you do, the resulting drug cocktail your brain releases along with it can add up to even greater pain relief. Who needs ibuprofen?

Next: The excuse: I’m not in the mood