can't highlight background of entire region, only where text is

I have Vim documents that have codeblock areas that use 'syntax
include' regions to have different syntax highlighting from the main
document. For example, I have a syntax region named 'pyregion' defined
that I use when I input Python code. The pyregion areas of the
document are then highlighted using setup in Python's syntax file,
while the area outside the region uses the syntax file of the main
document.

I want to have the entire background in the Python region be shaded a
different color to distinguish it from the non-Python areas of the
document. I can get part of the way there by entering a background for
the entire python region:

:highlight pyregion guibg=#555555

But the command above changes the background only for areas that have
text characters on them, not for entire background of the region,
which seems still to be governed like rest of document by the
background color defined for the 'Normal' group. This is okay -- it
does draw attention to the region, but it has a blotchy look because
only the code characters themselves have different background, not the
entire band of the region across the screen.

Is there some way to get a uniform band of a different background
color across the whole region, not just portion of region where there
are characters?

Thanks for any help.

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