WebStorm causing CPU spikes

Please can you provide your tsconfig.json and package.json?

Also, please make sure that all build destination folders are excluded from project

The build destination folder is excluded.

Here is package.json:

{
    "name": "my-project",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "",
    "main": "main.js",
    "scripts": {
        "start": "npm run build && node dist/my-project/src/main.js",
        "build": "tsc",
        "test": "NODE_ENV=test npm run test:cover",
        "test:unit": "NODE_ENV=test mocha -r ts-node/register src/**/*.test.ts --bail",
        "test:cover": "NODE_ENV=test nyc npm run test:unit",
        "lint": "tslint -c ../tslint.json src/**/*.ts",
        "clean": "../node_modules/.bin/rimraf dist/*"
    },
    "repository": {
        "type": "git",
        "url": ""
    },
    "author": "",
    "license": "ISC",
    "dependencies": {
        "@types/cheerio": "0.22.7",
        "cheerio": "1.0.0-rc.2",
        "request": "2.85.0",
        "typescript": "2.8.1"
    },
    "devDependencies": {
        "mocha": "5.0.5",
        "nyc": "11.6.0"
    }
}

Here is also a package.json in the parent folder:

{
    "name": "parent",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "",
    "main": "main.js",
    "scripts": {},
    "repository": {
        "type": "git",
        "url": ""
    },
    "author": "",
    "license": "ISC",
    "dependencies": {
        "cross-env": "5.1.4",
        "pg": "7.4.1",
        "pg-hstore": "2.3.2",
        "sequelize": "4.37.6",
        "source-map-support": "0.5.4",
        "typescript": "2.8.1",
        "winston": "2.4.1"
    },
    "devDependencies": {
        "@types/request": "2.47.0",
        "@types/sinon": "4.3.1",
        "chai": "4.1.2",
        "istanbul": "1.1.0-alpha.1",
        "mocha": "5.0.5",
        "rimraf": "2.6.2",
        "sinon": "4.5.0",
        "ts-node": "5.0.1",
        "tslint": "5.9.1"
    }
}

Here is tsconfig.json:

{
    "compilerOptions": {
        "module": "commonjs",
        "target": "es5",
        "sourceMap": true,
        "lib": ["es2015"]
    },
    "exclude": [
        "node_modules"
    ]
}

Please try moving

"typescript": "2.8.1"

from "dependencies" to "devDependencies" in your package.json files - this should make things better

Okay, I'll give it a shot. I didn't realize that WebStorm treated regular dependencies and dev dependencies differently.

also, please can you provide a screenshot of Preferences | Languages & Frameworks | JavaScript | Libraries page?

Here you go:

Looks OK, as far as I can see. Did you try moving "typescript" to "devDependencies" ?

I have yes. I will work with it a bit and let you know how it goes.

This seems to be working, thank you for the help.