一梦两三年一醒四五更
[yī mèng liăng sān nián yī xĭng sì wŭ gèng]
A Dream Lasts Two Or Three Years, A Awakening Occurs Four Or Five Times In One Night. This poetic expression conveys the idea that while time spent dreaming can seem long, the reality checks that pull us awake disrupt this experience too soon.