Continuous vs. discrete data is the difference between data uncovered over a long-term study and data occurred through a singular sampling. Continuous data would include something like an ongoing university study which looks at the sleeping patterns of students over the course of an academic year. Such a study could highlight overall patterns. A discrete study of the same phenomenon would
. perhaps take the form of a survey given on a single day, asking college students how much sleep they got the night before. Such a survey would be fairly accurate for that particular day, but would not be informative of students' general sleeping patterns.